
Class. 
Book. 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



LpU/ECC : 



^^^ 



(^i^iii-)r)OIC-ir)Hr- 



past pre3G9t apd 



prospeetiue 





OCT 1 



891. 







( iirY1.'ir:HTi:ii 
CrriZHN NF.WSTAPEK CcMrANV, 

mWKI.L, MASS. 



A-: 



S, 



INTRODUCTION. 

This pamphlet was compiled and prepared with a view to presenting in a 
concise and available form, certain important facts regarding the city of Lowell — 
its in(li"istries, its enterprises and its prospects. Great pains were taken to collect 
the statistics which are as nearly accurate as an unofficial collation could 
possibly be. 

The large foiu"-page map, found elsewhere in the pamphlet, was especially- 
prepared for this volume from the new maps of the U. S. survey, and it is of 
interest because it embraces a territory which very little exceeds the area of the 
city of Worcester. On this map will be found letters which refer to land else- 
wheie described which is available for manufacturing purposes. 

There is much valuable information within the covers of this pamphlet, 
and an abundance of evidence to show that for investment, particularly in 
manufactures, there are few places more suitable and deisirablc than Lowell. 



THE FOUNDING. 



At tlie beginning of the present century, 
East Chelmsford was a hamlet with a tav- 
ern where the men and beasts that passed 
over the highways leading from \'ermont 
and New Hampshire to Boston and vSalem, 
found rest and refreshment. 

The Merrimack and Concord rivers ran 
" unfettered to the sea," and the memory 
of the red man was still fresh in the minds 
of the hardy settlers who had wrested the 
land from his barbarous possession. 

Eight years before, " the proprietors 
of the Locks and Canals on Merrimack 
River" had been incorporated, and had 
built the Pawtucket canal from above Paw- 
tucket falls to the Concord river. Through 
this canal, the boats which came down the 
Merrimack passed to Newburyport and 
the sea, and the hmibermen no longer 
dreailed the turlnilent waters of the rapids 
which had made their occupation so full 
of danger. 

In twenty years the hamlet had become 
a village of two hundred and fifty inhabit- 
ants, and it boasted among other indus- 
trial advantages a cotton mill at Pawtucket 
falls, the Whipple powder mills, a flannel 
mill, several grist and saw mills, and a 
water highway to Boston harbor. 

'l"he Middlesex canal was projected in 
1793 and was completed in 1S04. Its 
original cost was $^00,000 ; but its stock- 
holders paid in assessments, $600,000 be- 
fore they realized any dividend. 

The canal ran from a point about a mile 
above Pawtucket falls, to Charlestown. 
The initial expense was so great that the 
stockholders received no benefit ; but there 
is every reason to believe, that the canal 
would, in time, have become a source of 
profit. 

Fisher & Ames built a dam at Massic 
falls on the Concord river, about 1820 and 
used the water to operate ttieir forging 
mills. Moses Whipple had amassed a 



fortune in the manufacture of gunpowder 
and built the Whipple canal, which was 
afterwarils extended and called the Waine- 
sit canal. 

But the creative hand of enterprise had 
not touched the mighty force of the noble 
Merrimack ; nor had it even entered tin- 
minds of the simple villagers, that their 
fields and pastures were so soon to become 
the site of a great and throbbing city. 

To Francis Cabot Lowell more than to 
anv other man. is New England indebted 
lor the cwLlou industries u liicli form sucii 
an important factor in its commercial 
prestige. With Patrick T. Jacicson he, in 
18(3, purchased a water power in Wal- 
tham, and secured an act of incorporation. 
In this enterprise they were joined by 
Nathan Appleton. 

One of their first acts was to secure the 
services of Paul Moody, a clever mechanic 
of Amesbury. 

Mr. Lowell, having obtained all possible 
information regarding the powei loom then 
being introduced in England, built an im- 
proxement on that great invention which 
was adopted in the Waltham mills. Other 
improvements were made li}' Messrs. Low- 
ell and Moody, and it was the latter who 
simplifietl the spinning process by spinning 
the filling directly on the cf>ps without the 
process of winding. -a 

While devoting liis inventive skill to the 
perfecting of machinery, Mr. Lowell gave 
considerable thought to the improvement 
of those he employed. He had seen the 
degraded state of the operatives in Eng- 
land, and his chief endeavor, next after 
the fitting of his mill, was to ensure such 
domestic comforts and restrictions as would 
warrant the parents of New England in let- 
ting their daugliters enter his employment. 
He provided boarding houses conducted 
by reputable women, fiunished opportnni-- 
ties for religious worship, and estahlishetl 



rules which were a safeguard against the 
evils which assail the young who are beyond 
parental supervision. 
f^y Mr. Lowell died in 1S17, at the early 
■ age of 43. 

The Waltham mill was a success. Mr. 
Appleton thought there was no reason 
why they should not manufacture and print 
calicoes in America. Mr. Jackson ad- 
mittetl that the operations were feasible ; 
so the directors of the Waltliam companv 
began to look for a new water power. 
They went to tlie falls of the Souhegan, 
iiut did not find them satisfactory. 

It was Ezra Worthen, of Salisbury, 
who suggested to Mr. Moody that thev 
buy the Pawtucket canal, and acting upon 
his advice, Jackson and Appleton, with 
Kirk Boott, set ;ibout the pinchase. They 
shrewdly secured the services of Thomas 
Clark, the agent of the canal company, 
through whom thev were enabled to se- 
cure stock and land. They diil not pav 
any more than they could help, and land 
that was bought at $200 an acre was sold 
b\' them at from I3 cents to $i a foot, a 
year later. 

In November, 1821, Jackson, Appleton, 
Kirk Boott, J. W. Boott, Moody and 
Warren Dutton visited the site of the 
future Lowell. They were mightily 
pleased with their bargain, as well they 
might have been ; and somehod}' ma<le 
the remark that it was quite possible tliev 
would live to see the place contain twenty 
thousand inhabitants. 

The articles of association were drawn 
up on the ist of December 1S21. The}' 
described the association as the Merrimack 
Manufacturing Company with a capital 
stock of $600,000 divided into six hun- 
dred shares. The amount of assess- 
ments was limited to $1000, and Kirk 
Boott was engaged as treasurer and agent 
for five years at a salary of $3000 a yejir. 
The company was incorporated Feb. 5, 
1S22, and the following directors were 
chosen : Warren Dutton, Patrick T. Jack- 
son, Nathan Appleton, William Appleton, 
Israel Thorndike, Jr., John W'. Boott; 
Kirk Boott, treasurer and clerk. 

Everything was now in readiness for the 
new epoch. Kirk Boott was a man of 
decided and somewhat imperious manner. 
He had fought with Wellington on the 
Peninsula, although a native of Boston, 
and iiis military training, while it fitted 
him for the work he was selected to ac- 



complish, made him exacting and arbitrary. 
But he enjoyed the full confidence of his 
associates, and the moment he was invested 
with authority, that moment he touched 
the lever which set in motion the progres.s 
which developed a great city. 

The Merrimack Company paid $48,556 
for the rights in the Pawtucket canal and 
for the land along its banks. 

In the spring of 1S22, work was begun. 
The canal was widened and deepened at a 
cost of $160,000 ; the foundation of the 
mills was laid ; a house for Mr. Boott was 
built as also were the boarding houses. 

The first wheel of the Merrimack Com- 
pany was started on tlie ist of September, 
1S23, and tin'ce additional mills werel)uilt. 
The first dividend of $100 a share was paid 
in 1S25. 

In 1S24, St. Anne's church was built 
and Theodore Edson installed as pastor. 

In 1S25, five hundred dollars were ap- 
propriated for a library. The ilircctors 
of the company never for a moment lost 
sight of the philanthropic design of Mr. 
Lowell, and the greatest care was taken to 
secure the comfort and happiness of the 
operatives. -:\.nd they were very comfort- 
aole and very happj- despite the fact that 
the}' labored fourteen hours a dav. 

In 1S26 Mr. John D. Prince came from 
England and took charge of the calico 
printing, and it was bis skill and executive 
ability that established the reputation and 
standing of the Meri'imack prints, now so 
famous. 

Thus did the Merrimack Company be- 
come the parent of all the industries that 
followed it. It is now in its 66th year, and 
what a familv has been gathered about it ! 
What activity, what energy, and what 
enterprise! "The speculation of the 
merchants of Boston," as Chevalier 
calleil it, has been a profitable one; it 
has benefitted not only the inventors 
but the thousands who have come to 
operate its machinery and conduct its 
rapidly increasing business. Prosperity 
and peace have been its privileges, and 
they have come with a quiet modesty which 
constrasts very strongly with the blare and 
rumpus of the booming so characteristic 
of some breezy sections. They were con- 
servative men who worked such radical 
changes in the industrial character of New 
Etigland and of Lowell, and while the 
progress is still directed with a liberal re- 



9 



solve, the cruiding principle is a conserva- 
tive one. 

In October, 1S24, the Merrimack Com- 
pany increased its capital to $1,200,000 
and sold all its rights in the Pawtucket 
'canal, together with the land, to the Pro- 
prietors of the Locks and Canals, who 
were authorized to' purchase, hold, lease 
or sell land and water power to the amount 
of $600,000. Mr. Boott was the tirst 
agent of the canal company. Fie was 
succeeded by Joseph Tilden and Patrick 
T. Jackson, and in 184^ James H. Francis 
was appointed to that position. 

Mr. Francis came to this country from 
England when a lad of 18. He was the 
son of a civil engineer and was so 
fortunate as to find employment upon 
his arrival in America under George 
Whistler, the eminent engineer. When 
Whistler came to Lowell to take charge 
of the Machine shop, Mr. Francis came 



with him and was, in 1837, appointed 
chief engineer for the canal company. In 
1S46 he projected and built the Northern 
canal, a monument to hydraulic ingenuity 
and skill as imperishable as the I'eputation 
of him who built it. He also designed the 
guard locks which stand an impregnable 
barrier between the city and the flood. 

When we have said that the enterprise 
of Appleton, Boott and Jackson was fol- 
lowed by the speedy incorporation of the 
Hamilton, the Appleton, the Lowell, the 
Middlesex, the Sufiblk, the Tremont, the 
Lawrence, the Bleachery, the Boott and 
the Massachusetts companies in their order, 
we iiave said all that need be said in justi- 
fication of the wisdom that prompted the 
seleclion of the hamlet of East Chelms- 
ford as the place of an industry which has 
enriched so many and kept so many more 
in the comforts of plenty. 



LOWELL IN 1870. 

HIE LOWELL OF 20 YEARS AGO AND THE I>R0:MISE IT GA\'Ii OF THE Fl'Tl'KE. 



Until 1S36 Lowell was still a town, l)ut 
that year it acquired the right and title to 
municipal privileges. Its progress had 
been phenomenal. In ten years it devel- 
oped beyond the expectations of its found- 
ers. Its mills were running at a profit, 
and its goods had acquired a reputation 
which made the demand greater than the 
capacity for production. 

The companies increased their works 
and the best and the steadiest of New 
England's men and women came here to 
earn a livelihood. It was these pioneers 
of the cotton industry that established the 
standard of intelligent labor in Lowell 
that not even the fell tide of immigration 
has been able to overthrosv. There is 
nowhere in the United States a class of 
labor so intelligent and so reliable as that 
which toils in Lowell. 

All went swimmingly until the panic 
of 1S57. The cotton mills of Lowell suf- 
fered with the other industries of the 
country. The companies had scarcely 
recovered from the eflects of the panic 
when the war broke out. With a singular 
lack of foresight, many of the companies 
discharged their help and sold their cotton. 
When peace was declared business was 
resumed and has been continued with 



remarkable steadiness ever since. 

For purpose of comparison we will 
endeavor briefly to show what Lowell was 
in 1870. 

It had a population of 40,928. Its area 
was 3S38 acres and it had =50 miles of 
streets. It had 5421 housesand its total 
valuation was $25,922,488. It had 4i',','i, of 
street railway tracks and its polls were 

S577- 

i here were but filteen manufacturing 
corporations in Lowell in 1870. These 
were the Machine shop, W'amesit steam 
mill, Appleton, Boott, Hamilton, Law- 
rence, Lowell, Massachusetts, Merrimack, 
3Iiddlesex, Sufiblk, Tremont, Belvidere 
\Voolen mills, Bleachery and the Lowell 
Hosiery. To these may be added the 
Wamesit Power company, the Proprie- 
tors of the Locks and Canals, the Lowell 
(ias Light company, the Boston & Lowell, 
Lowell & Nashu '. and Lowell & Lawrence 
railroads, twenty-two in all. The total 
valuation of these corporations was $12,- 
262,219. 

There were published at that time two 
daily papers, the Courier and the Citizen. 
and the Vox Populi was issued semi- 
weekly. 



10 



LOWELL IN 189L 



THE LOWELL OF TO-DA'i', ITS AREA, VAUIATION AXD POPULATION". 



The Lowell of 1S91, with a population 
of 80,000, stands 37 in the list of iniportant 
cities in the United States, and its right to 
be known as the " Manchester of America " 
there is none to dispute. Its area has 
been five times increased by annexation, 
and it still remains the most condensed 
municipal community in New England. 
In 1834, that quarter known as Belvidere 
was annexed trom Tewksbury ; in 1S51 
Centralville was annexed from Dracut ; 
in 1874 Middlesex Village and a portion 
of Dracut were annexed. In 1S79, 395 
acres were annexed from Dracut, and in 
1SS8 192 acres were annexed from Tewks- 
bury. The annexation of 1 879 was largely 
one of sentiment. It was found after the 
annexation of 1874 that four femilies living 
in Dracut, quite near the Tyngsboro line, 
were deprived of school advantages, and 
that the children might receive an educa- 
tion, the city annexed the additional terri- 
tory- 

The total area of Lowell is now 7932 
acres or i 2,',J, square miles. Its congested 
character is shown in the following table 
baseil upon the census of 1SS5 : 





POrUI.ATION. 


ACRES. 


Worcester 


68,389 


22,900 


Springfield 


37.575 


20,817 


Haverhill 


2'. 795 


15,200 


Gloucester 


21.703 


14,000 


Fall River 


56,870 


17.749 


Taunton 


23,674 


33.200 


Holyoke 


27,895 


10,038 


New Bedford 


33.393 


11,113 



In 1890, Lowell had 11,200 dwellings 
and its valuation was $62,046,799, an 
increase of $36,074,31 1 over that of 1S70 
Its polls were 19,833, and the length of 
its accepted streets, 104 miles, 8,',';, miles of 
which are paved with granite. It has of 
well built sewers, SS,,;, miles. Its water 
works are the finest in New England, and 
its gas is the cheapest furnished by any 
city in the East. 

It has now forty incorporated companies 
engaged in manufactures of various kinds 
and its railroad facilities are of an excep- 
tionally convenient character. Tlie Lowell 
and Suburban Street Railway Companv 
has over 27 miles of track and the com- 
pany contemplates manv changes in the 



immediate future that will greatly benefit 
the communitv. 

The total valuation of the incorporated 
coinpanies is $26,224,115. 

There are emploved in the mills and 
workshops 31,120 persons, divided as 
follows : 



Textile 


- 


- 24.172 


Machinery - 


. 


- 2,838 


Wood - ' - 




1,050 


Leather 




560 


Cartridges, Paper, Etc. 


, Etc. 


2,500 



3 1 , 1 20 

Fully 20,000 persons are employed in 
professions, domestic duties, trade and 
business other than manufacturing. And 
it will be readily admitted that Lowell has 
an industrious population. Almost S3 
per cent, of the entire poptdation is in 
active employment. 

The character of the population is made 
manifest in a most creditable manner in 
the statistics we give elsewhere of the 
the savings banks, and to say nothing of 
the churches and theatres which exercise 
a moral influence on the communit)-. 
Here we have neither riots nor strikes. 
There is little or no vagabond element, 
nor is there any of those socialistic agita- 
tions which so frequentlv disturb the 
prosperity of mamifactin'ing communities. 
■ The 11,200 dwellings show that a large 
proportion of the wage earners are housed 
in their own homes, and in no other 
matuifacturing community is the number 
of homes thus owned so great. 

The city enjoys an exceptional system 
of water works, introduced and perfected 
at a cost of over $4,000,000. Its police 
and fire departments are adequate; its 
schools numerous and well pro\ided ; it 
has an efficient board of health, and a free 
public librarv of 4^.000 volumes. There 
was appropriated fortlie current municipal 
expenses of the vear 1S91, $918,200. 

The clearing house returns show busi- 
ness transactions, aside from those of 
the large corporations, amoimting to 
$40,000,000 in the year 1890. 

The number of industries has been 
greatly increased and diversified within 



11 



the past ten 3'ears, and fortunes have been 
made in the transfers of real estate. 

There are now in course of construction 
a federal building for the accommodation 
of the post office, at a cost of $250,000, 
a city hall and memorial building, the 
latter to be used for library purposes, at a 
joint cost of $500,000. 

The city maintains the Rogers' Fort 
Hill park, elevated 200 feet above the 
level of the city, two spacious commons 
and two small parks. It has just com- 



pleted a magnificent boulevard, two miles 
long, on the northerly bank of the 
Merrimack river. 

That the spirit of enterprise is rife 
among our men of business may be seen 
in what is published elsewhere in this 
pamphlet regarding street railways, the 
erection of buildings and the oflers that 
are made of sites for new industries. This 
spirit is stimulated Iiy the Board of Trade 
and the Master Buiklers' exchange, and by 
various syndicates and individuals. 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 

STRUCTURES WHICH COMMEND THE ENTERPRISE AS THE-N' INDICATE THE FINANCIAL 
AND INDUSTRIAL ST.^NDING OF THE CITV. 



The present city hall was built to con- 
venience the officers of tiie town. It is an 
unpretentious structure which has atlbided 
doubtful accommodation to the officers of 
the city these many years. Its successor 
will be a magnificent structiue of Conway 
granite, three stories with a spacious base- 
meat, and decorated with a tower iSo 
feet high. The building will contain 
handsome chambers for the city council 
and school board, and offices for the 
heads of all departments. It was designed 
by Merrill & Cutler and will cost when 
completed $350,000. 

The city library is at present confined 
to narrow and hampered quarters in the 
Masonic building. Here it quite recently 
suffered serious damage by hre. When 
there was talk of erecting a monument to 
Lowell's dead soldiers, public meetings 
were held to decide what form the monu- 
ment should have. 

The consensus of opinion favored a 
Memorial building which should be util- 
ized in part for library purposes. The 
city council generously made an appropri- 
ation of $150,000 for such a structure and 
the plans of F. \V. Sticknev were accept- 
ed. These provide for an ornate building 
in every way worthy its high memorial 
character. It will be built of Conway 
granite and will have a central tower. 
Here tiie library will have ample and fire- 
proof accommodations. 

Both tliese buildings will be located on 
a large triangular lot at the junction of 
Merrimack and Moodv streets. Work 



begun on them last Fall and the first 
stories of each are Hearing completion. 

Through the efforts of Hon. Charles H. 
Allen, then representing the Seventh dis- 
trict, Congress in 1889 made an appropri- 
ation of $200,000 for a federal building to 
be erected in Lowell. The government 
was given the site at the corner of Apple- 
ton and Gorham streets formerly occupied 
by St. Peter's church. Plans have been 
prepared and the contracts awarded, and 
work will begin at an early date under 
the experienced direction of Colonel 
James VV. Bennett who has l^een appointed 
supervisor of con=truction. The building 
will be classical in design and will be a 
decided ornament to the city. 

When the military companies were de- 
prived by fire of their armory in Middle 
.street, the state commissioners secured a 
lot of land on W'estford street and erected 
thereon the present imposing structure. 
It has a castellated facade and is a model 
of militarv convenience. Its commanding 
position makes it a landmark for many 
sections of the city. It was built at a cost 
of $90,000. 

The High school building was erected 
in 1S40. Like the cit) hall, it has shrunk 
far behind the necessities of tlie age. It 
is in a very crowded condition. The city 
council has obtained authority to borrow 
$150,000 for a new building and plans 
prepared by F. W. Stickney have been 
accepted. The new building will stand 
upon the site of the old one, which will be 
enlarged by the purchase of two adjoining 



12 



lots. It will be in every respect a model 
institution, and architecturally it will be a 
credit both to its designer and the city. 

The city owns many handsome school 
buildings and provisions have been made 
for the erection of a new Moody school 
building in Belvidcre. 

Tiie central fire station in Palmer street 
is an unusualh' line building, and the sta- 



tions in various parts of the city are sub- 
stantially built of brick and stone. 

The countv jail on Thorndike street is a 
large doubie-towered building of grav 
granite, conspicuous for its arcliitcctural 
grace as it is for its evident strength. 

The buildings at the city farm are plain 
and substantial and arc of ciuite recent 
construction. 



PRIVATE BUILDINGS. 

WHERE BUSINE.SS IS TRANSACTED AND PEOPLE DWELI,. 



Within the last fifteen years, there have 
been many changes for the better in the 
character and design of our business blocks. 
The Masonic temple, built by the late 
Hocum Hosford w.is the pioneer of private 
enterprise in that direction. The Five 
Cent savings bank is established in an 
elegant marble building. Tiie Hildreth 
Building, in which tlie post office is located, 
and the Central Block, built b}' the Tyler 
heirs, are perhaps the two most completely 
equipped and largest business blocks in the 
cit\'. The Rimels Block, now in course 
of construction at the corner of Bridge 
and Merrimack streets, and the Howe 
Block in the opposite corner, will rival 
these, both in their architectural features 
and interior arrangements. 

Tiie Odd Fellows Building now being 
built will be modern in design and tlevelop- 
ment. The Hoyt and Shcdd ISuilding, 
the Appleton Bank Building, the First 
National Bank Building, the Old Lowell 
Bank Building, the jVIansur Block, the 
Ingham Block, the Stott Block, the St. 
Charles Hotel, the Merrimack House, the 
American House, the Ricliardson Block, 
the St. Cloud Hotel, the Glidden Block, 
the Swan Building, the Spalding Building, 
the Fiske ]?uilding, the Cook & Taylor 
Block, the Hoslord ]:5uilding, Wyman's 
Exchange are only a few of the many 
costly buildings devoted to business 

There are some notable residences in 
Lowell. That of Gen. Butler's in Belvi- 
dcre is a substantial house such as was 
built by country gentlemen 50 years ago. 



The Nesmith mansion, the Fellows house 
and the Hovey house are buildings of 
similar character. On the hill are the 
stone residences of Hon. A. P. Bonney 
and Frederick Faulknei'. The residences 
of Hon. F. W. Howe, Thomas Carolin, 
A. G. Pollard, A. G. Cumnock, T. G. 
Tweed, Dr. H. P. Jetlerson, F. P. 
Putnam, Hon. Charles A. Stott, Mrs. 
Wni. A. Burke, W. S. Lamson, W. H. 
Anderson, and F. B. Shedd, are types in 
the Belvidere district. In the High- 
lands, there is the mansion of Hon. W. 
E. Livingston, and a host of more 
modern dwellings of which those of 
Mayor Fifield, W. A. Ingham, lion. John 
J. Donovan, David Home, C. VV. Wikler, 
Col. J. W. Bennett, Mrs. Sidney Spald- 
ing and C. J. Glidden are characteristic 
specimens. 
_ In Ward Five, there are many fine resi- 
dences. Among them those of Mrs. James 
Mintcr, Frederick Ayer, Hon. C. H. 
Allen, Mrs. Robert H. Butcher, Jacob 
Rogers, Sewall G. Mack, Lucy Fav, Mrs. 
J. C. Ayer, H. M. Thomps'on, 'A. A. 
Coburn, H. C. Perham and Thos. Stott. 

In Centralville there are the Parker, the 
Read and the Hildreth mansions, the 
Barker residence and the residences of 
Major E. T. Rovvell, John H. McAlvin, 
Harry R. Rayncs and Mrs. A. H. Board- 
man. 

In every district and on every hand the 
liouses, if not distinctive of great wealth, 
are eloquent of comfort and good taste. 



13 



WATERWAYS AND CANALS. 
lo\v?:ll's rivers, brooks and canals and numerous rkid<;es. 



Lowell is bomitit'ully supplied with 
water. The Merrimack river whicli rises 
in the Wliite iiKHintains also drains Lake 
Winnipcsaukee, a hudv of water covering 
seventy square miles. This majestic 
stream flows in a sinuous course of nearly 
six miles through the city, and affords a 
force equivalent to 10,000 horse power. 
Its average width is 600 feet. 

The Concord river flows two and a 
quarter miles within the city boundaries, 
and joins the Merrimack at a point one 
mile and a fraction from the Dracut boun- 
dary line. Its average width is 300 feet, 
and it supplies 500 horse power. 

River Meadow Brook is two and a 
quarter miles long and flows into the 
Concord river. It serves numerous in- 
dustries with a ^o horse power. 

Stony Brook flows through Forge 
Village, Graniteville and Chelmsford into 
the Alerrimack a ijuarter of a mile above 
the city line. It fmnishes ^o horse power. 

Beaver Brook rises in Windham, and 
fiu'nishes power for two mills in Dracut 
before it empties into the Merrimack at 
the city boundaries. 

The system of canals by which the 
waters of the Merrimack are conveyed to 
the mills is over five miles in length. 

The following table shows the exact 
length of the waterways within the city 
limits: 



Merrimack River 
Concord " 

River Meadow Brook 
Beaver Brook 
Northern Canal 
Western " 
Tremont " 
Moody Street I'ceder 
Pawtucket Canal - 
iMorrimack 
Hamilton " 
Eastern " 

Boott Penstock 



FEET. 

31.25° 

12,750 

12,000 

2,600 

4.373 
4.472 

575 
1.375 
9,188 
2,586 
1,770 
1.913 

235 



85,087 
Total length 16 miles 607 feet. 

There are three other brooks of variant 
character which are not included in the 
above list. 

The canals and rivers divide the cit\ 
into seven islands, six of wliich are thickly 
populated. 



The Pawtucket canal was originally 
built in 1796 for the piu'pose of making 
the river navigable for boats, rafts and 
masts. In 1822 Nathan Appleton, Patrick 
T. Jackson, Kirk Boott and others bought 
the Pawtucket canal and directed its 
waters to manufacturing purposes. They 
built the Pawtucket dam, widened the 
canal to 60 feet and built the Merrimack 
canal. In 1825 The Proprietors of the 
Locks and Canals were incorporated and 
secured by charter all rights in the waters 
of the Merrimack for manufacturing piu'- 
poses. Mr. James 13. Francis, alter 
eleven v'ears of service as engineer, was 
appointed agent in 1S45, and remained at 
the head of the companj-'s affairs imtil 
1SS5, when he accepted the honor of con- 
sulting engineer and retired. He was 
succeeded by his son. Col. James Francis. 

The Merrimack canal was completed 
in 1823; the Western canal in 1S31, and 
the Eastern canal in 1835. They were 
originally fed by the Pawtucket canal. 
The first supplies power to the Machine 
shop, Lowell, Merrimack and Sherman's 
grist mills; the second supplies power 
to the Tremont, Lawrence and Merrimack 
mills, and the last supplies the Prescott, 
Massachusetts and Boott mills. 

The Northern canal was built in 1S47- 
48 under the direction of Mr. James 13. 
Francis. The massive parapet of masoiiry 
which extends along the south shore of the 
river, holds the waters of the canal 50 feet 
above the river bed, and is a triumph of 
engineering skill. It is connected with 
the Western, Merrimack and Eastern 
canals. 

The Wamesit canal was built in 1S46, 
and carries the waters of the Concord to 
a number of mills. It supplies 500 horse 
power. 

Where there is so much water in natu- 
ral and artificial channels, there must of 
necessity be many bridges. There are 209 
liridges in Lowell, 100 of which are on 
public thoroughfares. 

The bridges crossing the Merrimack are 
substantial structures. The present Paw- 
tucket bridge was built in 1871 ; the 
Aiken street bridge in 1SS3 ; and the pres- 
ent Central bridge in the same year. All 
three are iron bridges. 



14 



POPULATION. 



According to the census of 1S90, Lowell 
had a population of 77,696. 

This is an increase of 13,589 over the 
census of 1SS5, the figures of which were 
64,107. 

Here is an increase of 21 per cent, in 
five years. 

A year has elapsed since the census of 
1S90 was taken. Admitted that the per 
centage of the preceding five years was 
maintained in the year which has elapsed 
since the last census was taken, and we 
should have an additional increase of a 
fraction over 4 per cent., or 3200. 

This, added to 77,696, would make a 
population of 80,896. It is no exaggera- 
tion to say the figures exxeed Si ,000 at this 
time. 

Lowell has an area of onh' 7932 acres. 

Worcester has an area of 22,809 acres 
and a population by the last census of 
84,655. 

If Lowell covered as much territory as 
Worcester does it would embrace the vil- 
lages of North and West Chelmsford, 
Chelmsford Centre, North Billerica, the 
most populous section of Diacut and poi' 
tions of Tvngsboro and Tewksbury. 

With an area of 22,000 acres Lowell 
would have a population of 86,000. 

The business of the citv represents in 
actual figures not less than 90,000 people. 
It. is the market place of Billerica, Car- 
lisle, Chelmsford, Westford, Dunstable, 
Tyngsboro, Littleton, Acton, a portion 
of Pelham, N. H., Dracut, Tewksbury 
and a large section of Andover. 

According to the census of 1880, 52 per 
cent, of the entire population was in act- 
ive employment. The statistics showing 
the industrj' of the people are not yet 
tabulated for the returns of 1890, but it is 
safe to assume that the commendable per- 
centage will not be lessened. 

It is interesting to see in what degree 
the people were employed under the 
census of 1SS5. 

There were at that time 38,517 males 
in Lowell and 35,590 females. The fol- 
lowing were the occupations : 

Government .... 299 

Professions - - - - - 911 

Domestic . . . . . 14,920 

Personal service - - . - 840 

Trade --.---- 2941 

Transportation - - - - 1 100 



Agriculture - - - . 


458 


Laborers - - - . 


1290 


Apprentices - - . - 


•35 


Children at work - 


250 


Manufacturing 


- 2 •.454 




44,598 


To tiiese may be added : 




Scholars .... 


- 9568 


Students .... 


• 83 


Retired .... 


- , 715 


Non-productive 


593 


Dependents .... 


263 


At home .... 


- 7424 


Xot given .... 


703 



19,449 
And here is a significant item. In a 
population of 64,000 there were 6n\y re- 
turned as out of employment for 12 
months, 40 people. 

It may not be without interest to know 
the nativity of the popidation of Lo\\ell. 
According to the census of 1S85 the pro- 
portions are as follows : 

BORN IN : 

Massachusetts .... 25,631 

( )ther states in New England - 10,372 

other states 2221 

Ireland 11,681 

Canada (French) .... 6438 

" (English) .... 13S0 
Kngland - - - - -3512 

Scotland 785 

Xova .Scotia - - - - - 621 

Prince Edward's Island - - - 135 

New Brunswick - - - - 516 

Germany ..... 70 

Sweden ..... 275 

Portugal ..... 4j 

Other countries .... 427 

Since 18S5 the niunber of French-Cana- 
dians and of Swedes has largel\- increased. 
Thev form a thrifty, industrious and peace- 
able portion of the commimity. 

From recent statistics we find the fol- 
lowing conditional division of labor exist- 
ing at the present time : 

Manufacturers .... 24,172 
Machinists ..... 2838 

Wood 1050 

Leather 560 

Cartridges, etc., etc. - - - 2500 
Professions ..... 1200 

Trade 3760 

Domestic 16,500 

(iovernment - . . . . 432 
Transportation .... 2340 
Agriculture . - - - . 480 
Laborers 1600 

57,432 



lo 



LABOR. 



THE PREEMINENTLY INTELLIGENT AND 

y When the Merrimack mills were first 
established, the operatives were drawn 
from the towns and villages of New Eng- 
land. They were sober, industrious and 
leliable people. The building of the mills 
attracted the immigrant labor. It was 
also of a sober and reliable quality, for 
fares were high in those da3's and it was 
only those who were seeking homes that 
came to the new town of Lowell. This 
foreign labor mingled with the native 
element and imbibed the best of its nianv 
admirable Cjualities. 

As the industiies developed, there was 
a demand for men skilled in the art of 
calico printing, and a superior class of 
workmen accordingly came from England 
and from other countries to add their 
intelligent influence to the moral progress 
of the community. 

The corporations were under necessitv 
to provide food and shelter for those they 
employed. They adopted Mr. Lowell's 
plan, so eflectively instituted at Waltham, 
and built boarding and tenement houses. 
Over these a rigid supervision was main- 
tained. The food in the former was 
required to be of a certain standard. 
The rules governing the conduct of those 
who lived in the boarding and tenement 
houses were rather strict ; but they were 
wholesome ; and although they have long 
since lapsed, their effect is still seen when 
the bells ring the curfew at nine o'clock 
every night. 

There is still much of the native ele- 
ment employed in the mills, and the child- 
ren of the immigrants who came here in 
the early days form an exceptionallv in- 
telligent portion of the community. 

There are many French Canadians 
employed in the mills. Thev are very 
ilesirable operatives ; they ai^e steady, 
sober and industrious. They are thrifty 
and are more permanent than thev used 



RELIABLE Ql-AI.ITV .\SSrRED IN LOWELL. 

to be. Many of them now own their 
homes, and their children fill positions 
where education is a pierequisite to 
success. 

There have never been any serious 
strikes in Lowell. The only labor 
troubles ithasever experienced have arisen 
fron? isolated and petty difi'erences which 
have been amicably settled without seri- 
ous loss to employer or employee. Our 
corporations have always shown a liberal 
disposition to treat with their employes, 
and labor agitators of the blatant style have 
ever found Lowell to be a poor place for 
their disturbing purposes. 

The foreign elements are chiefly repre- 
sented by the French Canadians, the 
British, the L'ish and the Swedes. Their 
chief ambition seems to be to own their 
homes, and the outlying districts are 
thickly settled with the people of their 
class. They can buy comfortable homes 
for from $1000 to $1500, and when they 
are so established they are not disposed to 
find fault with the means by which thev - 
en|oy sucli independence. 

The savings banks contain their earn- 
ings, and the fact that many of the influen- 
tial men in the community were them- 
selves at one time operatives in the mills, 
has an encouraging efl'ect upon those who 
are now employed in their places. 

There are no socialistic clubs or organ- 
izations in Lowell. Labor unions there 
are, of sparse membership, but they do 
not seem to be in favor with the operative 
class. 

There is nowhere in the United States a 
more thrifty, intelligent and desirable class 
of help than can be found in Lowell, and 
the attendance at the free evening schools 
is a commendable evidence of the ambi- 
tion which animates the young who are 
compelled by force of circumstances to 
earn their livelihood in our mills. 



COST OF LIVING. 

THE BENEFITS THE LOWELL SYSTEM CONFERS UPON THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. 

The cost of living in Lowell is lower system." When Francis C. Lowell estab- 

than it is in any other city of its size and lished the cotton mills at Waltham, he 

character in the United States. This is made the shelter and food of the employes 

due to what is known as "the Lowell his especial care. He built substantial 



IG 



brick tenement and boarding houses and 
fixed the rentals and the price of board at 
low and stable figures. 

When Jackson and Boott built the Mer- 
rimack mills they adopted the Lo\Aell sys- 
tem. So, too, did the otlier corporations 
that followed. That system is still prc- 
sened, and when it is abandoned Lowell 
will lose one of its most distincti\e fea- 
tures and one which gives it an advantage 
not enjoyed by other manufacturing com- 
munities. 

There are no corporat'on stores, but the 
companies pay the boar-ling house keep- 
ers a small siun for evtrv boarder. Thev 
let the boarding houses at extremely low 
figures and enforce a rule )f conduct which, 
if not severe, is uevertheiess wholesome. 

Of the corporations, nine own tenement 
property valued at from $50,000 to $300,- 
ocx) each. The average rent for a tene- 
ment of eight rooms is $7 a month ; nine 
rooms rent for $8. These figures are the 
standard. 

Tenements of four, five or six rooms 
can be procured anywhere in the city for 
from $6 to $S a month ; and \ery superior 
tenements, in the most desirable sections, 
are rented for $10 and $12 a month. 
There are tenements cheaper than those 
owned by the corporations, but they are 
verv few and undesirable and their number 
is growing less. 

It costs a man $2.90 to board a week in 
a corporation boarding house ; a woman 
can board for $2.25. The food is sub- 
stantial and of excellent quality. Outside, 
the price of board in many places is $3.00 
for men and $2.50 for women. These 
figures include food and lodging A 
weaver earning $10 a week can live for 
$117 a year and live well. It is little 
wonder then, that our savings banks con- 



tain more money than there is represented 
in the united capital of tlie great corpora- 
tions. </* 

We have here, in Lowell, a large market 
for the surrounding countrv. Vegetables 
are cheap, and the absence of higli rents 
enable oiu" dealers to ofler their merchan- 
dise at prices all the way from 25 to 2 pev 
cent, less than the prices charged in Boston 
and elsewhere. 

A man earning $12 a week, and paying 
$156 for his board and lodgings for a year, 
can be well supplied with clothing, boots 
and underwear for $50. He can live in 
Lowell, be well dressed and comfortable, 
for $200 a year. If he is frugal he can 
save $300 a year, and manv men do. 

But the corporations aside, we ha\e 
cheaper rents and cheaper board than can 
be obtained in any other citv in Massa- 
chusetts. The wages may not C[uite touch 
the figures they do in other places; but 
the diflerence is more than compensated 
fej- in the reduced cost of living. 
'' It has been predicted that some time in 
the future the corporations will be obliged 
to abandon their boarding houses and con- 
vert the property to manufacturing pur- 
poses. But there is notliing to warrant 
such a prediction. 

An agent of one of our mills desiiing 
to extend his works concluded to build 
upon the site of his tenements. But when 
he had reckoned the consequences he 
changed his plan and the tenements re- 
mained. The abandonment of the Lowell 
system means an increase in the price of 
board, and that, c|uite naturallv, would 
excite a demand for larger wages. With 
that demand would come the opportunity 
the labor agitators have so long been look- 
ing for in this conservati\cl\' progressive 
and peaceful community. 



VOLUME OF BUSINESS. 



THE AGGRliGATE OK MONEY 



REPHESENTED IN" 
($76,503,782.) 



A VEAlt .S MANUI-ACTUHIN'G 



The industries of Lowell are manifold. 
The manufacture of cotton cloth was the 
first established and it is still the staple of 
our great trade. There are seven large 
corporations engaged in that industry, 
producing 257,800,000 yards of cloth per 



anniun, and giving employiuent to 15,000 
people. 

There are 103,000,000 yards of calico 
dyed and printed every year. 

The sales of these seven corporations 
for the year iSgoamoimted to $19,572,556, 




NEW CITY HALL. 



18 



and the total sum involved in their busi- 
ness was $34,889,861. 

There are eight mills engaged in the 
manufacture of woollens and carpets. 
The volume of business transacted by 
them in 1S90 aggregated $1 1,432,921. 

There are twelve mills which manufac- 
ture clastic webbing, suspenders, hosier)', 
imderwear, cotton ancl worsted yarn. 
Their business for 1S90 aggregated $5,- 
^50,000. 

There is besides the bleachery one other 
manufacturing dye works, and the aggre- 
gate of business done in that line was 
$r ,000,500. 

There are 26 machine shops in Lowell, 
the largest of which is the Lowell Macliine 
Shop, with a capital of $900,000, emplo\- 
ing 1500 men. Then comes the Kitson 
Machine Company, buiklers of cotton 
maciiinery. There are four foundries, 
exclusive of that in the Lowell Machine 
Shop. There are in addition to the 
American Bolt Compan\', several estab- 
lishments for the manufacture of bolts and 
screws. Of other iron industries there are 
one manufacturer of scales, one of turbine 
water wheels, four wire workers, and two 
boiler makers. The aggregate of business 
done b\' all grades of iron workers during 
he vear 1S90, was $6,460,000. 



There are six large lumber dealers in 
Lowell, four manufacturers of boxes, five 
of doors, sashes and blinds, one of coffins, 
one of bungs, one of clamps and screws, 
seven of furniture, two of refrigerators, 
two of stairs, one of tanks and vats and 
one of croquet sets. The aggregate of 
business done bv these workers in wood 
for the year 1S90, was $4,180,500. 

There are no less than 26 manufacturers 
of mill supplies, doing a business aggre- 
gating $3,000,000 per annum. 

Of miscellaneous industries such as cash 
carriers, shoes, etc., the aggregate will not 
fall short of $5,000,000. Nor does this 
include the money turned over in our 
patent medicine factories. The aggregate 
of business done in proprietary medicines 
and perfumes was over $6,000,000. 

These figures are based upon actual re- 
turns. 

VOLUME OF jMANUrACTURING BUSINKSS, 1890. 

Cotton - . . . $34,889,861 

Woollens and Carpets - 11,422,921 

Hosiery, Yarn, Webbing - 5,550,000 

Bleaching and dying - - 1,000,500 

Machinery - - - 6,460,000 

Wood working - - - 4,180,500 

Mill supplies - - - 2,000,000 

Medicines and perfumes - 6,000,000 

Miscellaneous - - - 5,000,000 



J?76.5°3.7S2 



FORTY MILLIONS 

TOTAL CLEARINGS, AND FORTY PER CENT. INCREASE IN FOUR YEARS. 



Year by year the banks are becoming in 
a constantly increasing degree the account- 
ants of the business transactions of their 
respective communities, and the work of 
the clearing houses summarizes the finan- 
cial operations of the several cities wherein 
those institutions flourish. In this respect, 
however, Lowell is uniquelv situated, inas- 
much as the larger money dealings of her 
great manufacturing corporations are pros- 
ecuted by their treasurers in Boston, with 
the effect that the reports of the Lowell 
clearing house relate solely to the more 
strictly commercial exchanges resulting in 
the course of the local retail trade. Never- 
theless, Lowell retains her position well in 
the face of this fact and of the fact that she 
does not profit by the ailventitious aid of 
speculation, which so largelv augments the 
clearings of more metropolitan cities, nor 
by the frequent and sometimes fictitious 



transfers of real estate which swell the 
totals of certain western places far beyond 
the actual interchange of cash. 

The volume of business pursues a steady, 
health \- growth, and shows no signs of 
retreating upon the path it has followed 
dining the past few years. 

The clearing system began in Lowell 
March 33, 1876, as an experiment, and 
after less than a month's trial, on April 20, 
1S76, the Clearing House Association was 
organized under the following officers : 
Chairman, J. F. Kimball; vice chairman, 
G. B. Allen; secretary, A. A. Coburn ; 
clearing house committee, C. M. Wil- 
liams, 'G. W. Knowlton, C. W. Eaton; 
manager, J. S. Hovey. The clearing 
bank was first the Railroad National, an(l 
since then that duty has been performed in 
rotation. The present officers are C. M. 
Williams, chairman; G. W. Knowlton, 



19 



vice chairman; F. Blanchard, secretary; 
E. K. Perley, W. M. Sawyer, F. P. Hag- 
gett, clearing iionse coinniittee; \V. VV. 
Joiinson, manager ; and the Merchants 
National i.s the clearing bank. Amended 
articles of association were adopted July 

15, 18S9. ; 

A fair comparison will show the rapidity 
of the recent growtii of Lowell as can 
nothing else save the census retnrns. 

Foin- years ago, from May i, 18S6, to 
May I, 1SS7, the aggregate exchanges 



were $28,110,065.68, and the balances 
$8,862,953.8.1. In the year just concluded 
from May i, 1S90, to May i, 1S91, the 
clearings were $38,922,859.03, with bal- 
ances of $11,560,908.16. Nearly forty 
millions of gross exchanges within a year 
marked iiy unprecedented financial depres- 
sion all over the world, and despite adverse 
conditions, a showing of almost forty per 
cent, increase over the figures of four years 
since ! 



BANKS OF DISCOUNT. 

CAPITAL OF $2,225,000; DEPOSITS OF $4,300,288.45; Sl'HPI.lIS OF $1,051,356.85. 



Of the national banks and trust compa- 
nies of Lowell it would be invidious to 
speak in terms of comparison. All are 
conservatively managed, paying liberal 
dividends to stockholders and giving plen- 
tiful accommodation to customers. The 
aggregate banking capital, the sum of the 
figures given in the heading to this article, 
appeared to be, at the time of the latest 
return to the comptroller of the currency, 
just $7,576,645.30, — exclusii'e of circula- 
tion, $543,650, and certificates of deposit, 
$271,170.51, which being added would 
produce a sum total of $8,391,465.81; 
besides which must also be reckoned the 
aggregate assets of the savings banks, 
more than twice as much in addition. 

The Appleton Bank was incorporated 
in 1847, and located In its own building at 
the corner of Central and Hurd streets, 
occupying the site of its present elegant 
block, which was erected in 1878. This 
bank has a capital of $300,000, surplus 
$130,000, undivided profits of ^44,038 67, 
anddeposits of almost exactly one million 
dollars. The dividends pf id have aver- 
aged ten per cent. The officers are John 
F. Kimball, president; VV. S. Bennett, 
H. H. Wilder, A. Putnam, W. E. Liv- 
ingston, F. B. Shedd, F. A. Buttrick, 
J W. C. Pickering, G. W. Fifield, H. M. 
Knowles, G. O. Whiting, directors; E. 
K. Perley, cashier. 

The First National Bank was organized 
under the national banking laws in 1864, 
with a capital of $250,000. In 1884 it 
removed from the old building at the 
corner of Central and Middle streets to its 
own handsome block, 40 Central street. 



It has a surplus fund of $150,000, undi- 
vided profits of $30,067.19, and deposits 
of $549,329,96. J. C Abbott is president ; 
E. Brown, S. N. Wood, G. Kimball, P. 
Dempsey, J. S. Brown, S. C. Taylor, W. 
H. Parker, J. Lennon, T. Costello, H. G. 
Cushing, directors; W. M. Sawyer, cash- 
ier. 

The Prescott Bank was incorporated in 
1S50, being tlien located at the corner of 
Central and Market streets, whence it re- 
moved in 1S65 to occupy its own block at 
28 Central street, where it now is. It has 
a capital of $300,000, surplus of $100,000, 
undivided profits of $86,119.56, and 
ileposits at the close of business May 4, 
1891 , of $434,598.84. Ilapgood Wright is 
president ; A. A. Coburn, vice-president ; 
G. F. Richardson, C. H. Coburn, D. 
Gage, C. A. Stott, VV. A. Ingham, J. W. 
Abbott, J. A. Bartlett, directors ; F. 
Blanchard, cashier. 

The Lowell Bank organized in 1828 
became in 1865 the Old Lowell National 
Bank, and under these titles has occupied 
quarters consecutiveK' as follows : Corner 
Merrimack anil Worthen streets, the old 
Wyman's Exchange, Shattuck street, the 
new Wvman's Exchange ; and it has just 
removed to its sumptuous apartments in 
the Bowditch building on Central street. 
Its capital is $200,000, surplus $40,000, 
undivided profits $27,758.29, and its 
deposits $309,467.96. John Davis is 
president; E. M. Tucke, P. Whiting, P. 
Parker, A. B. VVoodworth, G. F. Penni- 
man, W. W. Carey, J. L. Chalifoux, P. 
H. Donohoe, directors; C. M. Williams, 
cashier. 



20 



The W:imesit Bank, which occupies its 
own biiildinij at the corner of Middlesex 
and Tiioin(Ui<e streets, was incorporated 
in 1S53, with a capital of $250,000. It 
has a surplus fund of $50,000^ undivided 
profits of $41,803.58, and individual de- 
posits of $323,815.71. H. C. Howe is 
the president; S. Horn, P. C. Gates, L. 
B. Hall, W. H. Wiggin, P. P. Perham, 
S. Kidder, F. Jewett, J. VV^ Bennett, di- 
rectors ; G. W. Knowlton, cashier. 

The Merchants Bank occupies the 
ground floor of its own building, 39 Mer- 
rimack street, next west of Postoflice 
block. Its capital is $400,000, surplus 
$100,000, undivided profits $117,459.51, 
and it had deposits of $1,023, 706. 71 "at the 
time of its last return. The president is 
A. P. Bonnev ; directors, W. H. Ander- 
son, C. H. Latham, A. Pratt, W. Shep- 
ard, A. F. Nichols, Geo. Runels, F. T. 
Jaques, M. Collins, A. G. Pollard; cash- 
ier, W. W. Johnson. It was incorporated 
in 1S54 '"*"'' nationalized in 1S64. 

The Railroad Bank was organized in 
1S31, chiefly by Boston gentlemen and 
stockholders in our great manufacturing 
corporations. For forty years this bank 
dill the business of the Lowell mills almost 
exclusively. It was first located at the 
corner of Central and Hurd streets, then 
in succession at the corner of Merrimack 



and John streets, on Shattuck stree', in the 
Carleton block, and recently settled in its 
own building, 93, 95 and 97 Merrimack 
street. Its capital was once $800,000 ; 
but in 1SS5 was reduced to $400,003, just 
double what it began business with 54 
years before. There is a surplus fund of 
$100,000, undivided profits of $34,1 10.05, 
and deposits of $536,788.79. The officers 
are E. T. Rowell, president; S. G. Mack, 
G. S. Motley, A. G. Cumnock, G. Ripley, 
J. B. Francis, J. Francis, ]. Rogers, A. 
S. Lyon, W. S. Southworth, directors; 
F. P. Haggett, cashier. 

The Lowell Trust Company is the latest 
addition to the city's banking facilities, 
whose doors were opened Feb. 9, 189 [. 
It has a capital of $125,000. Hon. J. J. 
Donovan is president ; Geo. T. Sheldon, 
tieasurer; George M. Harrigan, actuarv ; 
and J. J. Hogan, J. W. Corcoran, C. 
O'Donnell, J. j. O'Donnell, J- A. Stiles, 
D. Wholev," D. Murpliy, J-'Marren, T. 
O'Brien, J. Crowlev, D. Cole, R. Ripley, 
S. T- Johnson, W". J- Coughlin, T. C. 
Lee, C. H. Andrews", J. H. Cofley, C. 
H. Hanson, H. O'Sullivan are directors. 
The Trust Company is located in the new 
Donovan building at the junction of Cen- 
tral. Gorham and Middlesex streets, where 
it has already a thriving business. 



INSTITUTIONS FOR SAVINGS. 

SIXTEEN MILLIONS OF DEPOSITS FLANKED BY SIKPLUS MORE THAN A MILLION 

STRONGi 



The savings banks of Lowell are widelv 
celebrated f.r the remarkable number and 
character of their depositors and the enor- 
mous sums invested on behalf of their 
busy clients. Lowell has in its savings 
banks a larger sum, per capita of its total 
population, than any other city in the 
world. There are 44,699 open accounts, 
aggregating $16,108,544.12, or on an 
average of $360.38 to the credit of ever\- 
account. This vast total represents a sav- 
ing of more than two hundred dollars for 
every man, womaji and child in the city ; 
and when it is reflected that but one-half 
these people are employed in remunerative 
occupations, it will be seen that it repre- 
sents an investment of more than four hun- 
dred dollars on the part of every working 
person in Lowell. 



During the calendar j'ear ending at the 
date of the latest return to the state com- 
missioners, there were made 49,343 de- 
posits, aggregating $3,113,673.22, an 
average of $63.10 for each entry, or an 
average addition of $69.66 to each account 
in the course of a year. 

The Lowell Institution for Savings v\'as 
incorporated in 1829, and has been known 
\ery generally as the " Old Lowell Sav- 
ings Bank." For two years the Merri- 
mack and Hamilton companies had acted 
as depositaries for the savings of their oper- 
atives, issuing books and paving interest, 
but when attej^.tion was called to the doubt- 
ful legality of such beneficence the plan 
was abandoned and a petition made to the 
legislature for a savings bank charter. 
Elisha Glidden was the first president, and 



22 



he was succeeded in turn liy Theodore 
Edson, John O. Green and Charles A. 
Savory. James G. Carney was the first 
treasurer, from 1S39 to 1S69; and his suc- 
cessor, the present incumbent, was his son, 
George J. Carney. The trustees are Geo. 
Motley, F. Nici<erson, S. Kidder, A. B. 
French, F. Bailev, J. W. 13. Shaw, F. 
Taylor, C. M. FisU, D. B. Bartlett, A. St. 
John Chamlire. 

The City Institution for vSavings organ- 
ized in 1S47, and has maintained its hsca- 
tion ever since at the corner of Central 
and llurd streets. Its first president was 
Rev. II. A. Miles, succeeded by Rev. D. 
C. Eddv, Ur. Nathan Allen and Hon. F. 
T. Greenhalge. John A. Buttrick, the 
first treasurer, was succeeded in 1875 by 

F. A. Biutrick, his son. The trustees are 
W. E. Livingston, C. R. Kimball, W. S. 
Bennett, A. Putnam, J. F. Mowe, E. K. 
Perlc\-, Percy Parker, L. Huntress, Frank 
Coburn, H. H. Barnes. 

Tlie Lowell Five Cent .Savings Bank 
was incorporated in 1854. Rev. Horatio 
Wood was its first president, holding office 
until 1SS5, when, on his resignation, S. 

G. Mack was elected in his place. The 
first treasurer, A. S. Tyler, has filled the 
])osition since the organization of the bank. 
Hapgood Wright, J. F. Kimball, J. L. 
Chenev, G. F. Richardson, C. E. A. 
Bartlett, J. H. McAlvin, G. S. Cheney, 
A. C. Taylor, Dudley Foster, Charles Co- 
burn, Arthur Staples, G. F. Penniman, 
A. C. Russell, W. S. Southworth, C. D. 
Palmer and F. P. Putnam are the present 
trustees. The bank occupies its elegant 
marble building at the corner of Merri- 
mack and John streets. Its special field 
is the care of small deposits, being privil- 
eged to receive sums less than one dollar. 

The Mechanics Savings Bank was or- 
ganized in 1S61, and its only presidents 
have been Wm. A. Burke and Jeremiah 
Clark. John F. Rogers was the first 
treasurer, succeeded by C. F. Battles and 
the present incumbent, C. C. Hutchinson. 
Until 18S9 this bank was associated more 
or less closely with the Railroad National 
Bank in its quarters but since that date 
has occupied the second story of its own 
building on Merrimack street opposite 
Kirk street. Its present trustees are Jacob 
Rogers, Isaac Cooper, Ferdinand Rodlifi", 
J. V. Keyes, A. G. Cumnock, C. L. Hil- 
dreth, John Davis, James Francis, W . 
W. Sherman, E. M. Tucke, J. G. Hill, 
W. D. Blanchard, J. G. Marshall, Francis 



Carll, W. G. Ward, E. H. Cummings, E. 
N. Burke. 

The Central .Savings B.mk was incor- 
porated in 1S71, and from the first Oliver 
H. Moulton has been its president. Its 
first treasurer was J. N. Pierce ; but the 
present incumbent, Samuel A. Chase, has 
held the office since 1S73. The trustees 
are F. Ayer, J. C. Abbott, E. B. Adams, 
E. Boyden, E. Brown, J. S. Brown, W. 
A. Brown, H. C. Church, R. Court, J. P. 
Folsom, P. C. Gates, J. R. Hayes, G. L. 
Huntoon,C. H. Latham, P. Lvnch, A. S. 
Lyon, A. G. Pollard, A. Pratt, G. Run- 
els, G. F. Scribner, D. Swan, B. Walker, 
S. N. Wood, G. W. Young. The bank 
has its place of business with the Mer- 
chants' National Bank, where is also 
maintained a safety-deposit vault. 

The Merrimack River Savings Bank 
was also incorporated in 1S71, and J. G. 
Peabody has been its president ever since. 
Its treasurers have been G. W. Knowlton, 
A. J. Flint and Nathan G. Lamson, the 
latter now holding the position. Its trus- 
tees are Samuel Horn, C. E. Paige, Fran- 
cis Jewctt, H. C. Howe, F. B. Shedd, 
A. D. Puft'er, A. F. Wright, Charles 
Runels, C. J. Glidden, W. A. Ingham, P. 
-'-P. Perham, J. C. Johnson, J. W. Ben- 
nett, Horace Ela, 13. F. Sargent, C. F. 
Varnum, C. F. Young, G. W. Knowlton, 
C. E. Adams, Alfred Barney, R. G. Bart- 
lett, S. B. Hall, Michael Corbett. Its 
banking rooms are at the corner of Mid- 
dlesex and Tliorndike streets, with the 
Wamesit National Bank. 

• The Lowell Co-Operative Bank was 
chartered April 29, 18S5, with an author- 
ized capital of $[,000,000, and it has 
been favored with continual prosperity. 
Twelve series of shares have been issued, 
and the latest dividend was at the rate of 
7 per cent. The officers are A. B. Wood- 
worth, president ; S. R. Kitchen, vice- 
president ; G. W. Batchelder, clerk ; G. 
E. Metcalf, treasurer ; J. L. Sedgley, L. 
Evans, Jr., E. G. Baker, J. O. Gulline, 
Thos. Collins, C. T. Rowland, C. L. 
Smith, L. F. Howard, .S. J. Johnson, J. 
E.White, J. D. IIartwell,'G.'W. Broth- 
ers, F. Woodies, J. Murkland, S. A. 
Byam and E. S. Bickford, tlirectors ; G. 
H. Brown, L. F. Paulint, A. J. Murk- 
land, auditors. Meetings are held the 
first Friday after the loth of each month, 
at which the money on hand is loaned 
to the highest bidders. Last year the 
total receipts \vere $73,457,07. 



23 




FIVE CENT .SAV1N(;S BANK F.LilLDIN'G. 



REAL ESTATE. 

THE SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS DONE IN LOWELL WITHIN A YEAR. 



The above figures stand for the value 
of the bonafide real estate conveyances for 
the year ending May i, 1891. There were 
in all 692 transactions, and when it is con- 
sidered that the great majority of these 
were of a substantial and permanent 
character, some idea may be obtained of 
the progressive movement which is so 
rapidly developing the advantages our city 
oflers. 

A large per centage of these transactions 
represents the prosperity of individuals 
vvho have gratified the ambition to own 
their homes. Much of the conveyed lies 
on the lines of the street i-ailway which 
have been recently opened or extended. 
The greatest number of such conveyances 
occur in Ward Four, proving the popul- 
arity of the Highlands for the purposes of 
residence. The increase in valuation in 
that district in 10 years, has been 109 per 
cent. Next comes Ward Two, embracing 
Centralville. With an increase of 73 per 



($1,880,400) 

cent.. Ward Three, which includes Ayers 
City, shows an increase of 60 per cent. 
Ward One, which contains the new muni- 
cipal buildings, has increased 59 per cent. 
Ward Six follows with an increase of 53 
per cent. Ward Five, including Faw- 
tucketville, shows an increase of 46 per 
cent. 

Now that the new boulevard has been 



laid out, it will throw some 300 acres of 
accessible residence land into the market 
in Ward Five. 

The new postoftice building will have a 
beneficial eflect upon the value of property 
in Wards Three and Foin\ 

Of the 7900 acres of which Lowell is 
comprised, there are about 2000 acres 
which are both available and desirable for 
building purposes In the immediate 
vicinity of Lowell there are 10,000 acres 
which, in a very short time, will be treble 
the value at which they are at present 
held. 



24 



INSUIiANCE. 



LOCAL COMPANIES Of LONG STANDING AND CONSERVATIVE MANAGEMENT. 



For nineteen jears the onlv insinaiice 
company in the city ^vas the Lowell 
Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which 
was incorporated March 6, 1S32, its first 
place of business being on the site of the 
present building of the Appleton Bank. 
The office was thence removed to the 
corner of Central and Market streets, 
where it remained forty years : in 1SS4 it 
was removed to the second story of the 
First National Bank block. Luther Law- 
rence was its first president, succeeded by 
Elisha Glidden, John Nesmith, Jona. 
Tyler, Horace Howard, J. B. French, [. 
H. B. Ayer, J. K. Fellows. Hon. J. C. 
Abbott, now president, has been in ofliice 
since iSSo, and E. T. Abbott, the secre- 
tary and treasurer, was elected in 1SS3. 
The directors are W. H. Wiggin, W. P. 
Brazer,C. A. Stott,W. E. Livingston, Benj. 
Walker, A. G. Pollard, P. C. Gates, F. 
A. Buttrick, C. W. Wilder, J. K. 
Fellows. 

This company takes no risks outside 
the citv of Lowell, and em])loys no agents. 
I^ had losses of but $3,039 last year. The 
amount of risks outstantling Jan. i. 1891 
was $3,594,871 , w ith net assets of $70,902. 
99 and a permanent fund of $71,182.90. 
It pays return profits of 33 1-3, 50 and 70 
per cent, on 1,3 and 5 veai' policies. 

The Traders and Mechanics Fire In- 



surance Company was incorporated in 
184S as a mutual company, to which a 
stock department was added in 1854. Both 
departments were conducted until iSSi 
wlieii the capital and surplus were divided 
among the shai'eholilers and the mutual 
business was continued. Levi Sprague is 
president and Edward M. Tucke is secre- 
tary ; and the directors now are Jacob 
Rogers, C. C. Hutchinson, C. H. Coburn, 
G. F. Richardson, J. F. Kimball, H. C. 
Howe, F. P. Putnam. The gross assets 
Dec. 31,1890 were $621,955. 66, with 
liabilities of $334, 463. 39 ; leaving net assets 
of $387,492.27, of which $386,820.73 is a 
permanent fimd. On the same date it had 
risks in force amounting to $30,668,025, 
and during the past year had losses of 
$55,778.75. This company pays 30, 50 
and 70 per cent, return premiums on i, 
3 and 5-year policies. 

Out-of-town insurance companies are 
represented in Lowell by Charles Coburn, 
H. C. Church & Son,'G. W. Coburn & 
Son, J. B. Coleman, S. W. Cook, T. L. 
Dickev, J. M. Dixon, J. M. Kilgore, T. 

C. Lee, Metcalf & Hazen, N. \V. Nor- 
cross & Co., F. W. Sherman, D. Walker, 

D. C. Wallace, J. B. Swift, C. W. Eaton, 

E. M. Tucke, E. T. Abbott, E. E. 
Mansur, F. M. Merrill and others. 



STREET RAILWAYS. 



now TIIEV HAVE AIDED IN 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF Tllli 
FUTURE WILL BE. 



CIT'i' WHAT TIIEIK 



There have been no more prominent 
factors in the recent development of 
Lowell than the street railways. Statis- 
tics prove [his beyond question of doubt. 

The Lowell Horse Railroad company 
was organized in April, 1S63, with an 
authorized capital of $100,000, and a paid 
up capital of $40,128. 

On March i, 1864, the lines were opened 
for business. There was a route from 
Belvidere to Pawtucket Falls, and one 
from the postoffice to Whipple's mills, via 
Central street. Later, the route on Bridge 
street was built, the line on Central street 
was changed to Gorham street, and a line 



laid through Miildlesex street to the old 
Lafayette House The latest extensions 
were on Westford and Chelmsford streets 
and Broadway. 

The Lowell company enjoyed a 
monopoly of the carrying business until 
1886, when the Lowell & Dracut company 
was organized under articles of association 
with a capital of $15,000. The line on 
Lakeview avenue was built and, after 
some opposition, the company obtained 
permission to lay tracks on Bridge street 
and enter the city proper. 

In 1887, the company was chartered 
with a capital of $100, coo, and at once 




D 
O 

S 

M 

►J 
U 

a 
< 



Q 

W 



o 

w 

X 
h 



■26 



issued $60,000 ill bonds. The following 
May, the additional $40,000 was sub- 
scribed. 

In 1889 bonds were issued for the pur- 
pose of making an electrical equipment 
for the line built to Lakeview. This has a 
total length of 5 miles, and conveys the 
people to the loveliest and best conducted 
Summer resort in New England. 

In March, 1S90, the railroad commission- 
ers authorized the Lowell & Dracut com- 
pany to issue further bonds for $100,000. 
At that time it had the routes running from 
the postofHce square to Pawtucketville, to 
Fort Hill Park, to the Lowell Cemetery 
and to Ward Four, in all 131';;,',, miles of 
track. 

The Lowell company had at the same 
time I3i1;li miles of track. 

On the 20th of October, 1SS7, the 
directors of the Lowell tS; Dracut company 
acquired a controlling interest in the 
Lowell company. 

It was soon found that the convenience 
of the public would be much enhanced 
and rapid transit virtually-established, and 
the stockholders agreeing, consolidation 
was consummated and a new company 
organized imder the title of the Lowell & 
Suburban Street Railway Company. The 
capital stock is placed at $300,000. 

The company controls 27 miles of track, 
75 per cent, of which is a tram rad of 
from 40 to 45 pounds, and the remainder 
the Providence girder and T rails. It 
owns 350 horses, which are sheltered in 
four stables located in Dracut at the city 
line, in East Merrimack street, in Middle- 
sex street and in South Whipple street. 
It has 80 cars and iS electric cars, and 
employs 300 men. 

That the street railway is a fiictor in the 
development of the city is amply proved 
by the following statistics : 

Percentage of increase of population, valuation and 
street railway facilities from 1880 to 1S90. 

Assessors' St. Railway 

Ward, valuation. Population. facilities. 

1 59 per cent. 2.71 per cent. loss. 

2 73 " 46.67 " inc. 291 percent. 

3 60 " 41.66 " " 239 " 

4 109 " 45-10 " " 520 " 

5 46 " 57-11 '• " 253 " 

6 53 " 12.00 " " Total, 3 miles 

There is an explanation of these figures. 
Ward One shows a loss of 3.71 per cent, 
in population, for the reason that the street 
railways aflbrded an opportunity for people 
to leave that congested district anil put 
houses in other sections. 

The figures of Ward Fom- are the most 



significant — here, the increase of valuation 
was 109 per cent. ; the increase in popula- 
tion was only 45.10 per cent, while the 
increase in railway facilities was 520 per 
cent. It should be said that the increase 
in valuation is representative of the char- 
acter of the houses built in this Ward. 
They are for the most jwrt individual 
dwellings and the valuation is therefore of 
a very substantial character. 

The increase in the population in Wai'd 
Five is larger than it is in any other Ward, 
while the increase in valuation is the low- 
est. This is accounted for by the fact that 
" Little Canada," with its great tenement 
blocks, oflers cheap inducements for 
French Canadians to live there. 

While the increase in population through- 
out the city has been 31 ]5er cent, in ten 
years, the increase in dwelling houses has 
been 41 per cent. This has been possible 
through the medium of the street railway 
extensions, which have led people to go 
toward the suburbs and own their own 
homes. From iSSoto 1SS5 the population 
increased 7 per cent ; street railway facili- 
ties increased in the same period, 20 per 
cent. 

From 18S5 to 1S90, the increase of 
population was 3i per cent. ; for the same 
period the increase in street railway 
facilities was 400 per cent., a most re- 
markable progress, which proves the wis- 
dom of the enterprise which gave the city 
the railwa}- routes it now enjoys. And that 
it has been a profitable investment may be 
gathered from the fact that while the 
"population increased 21 per cent from 
iSS5-to 1S90, the income of the street 
railway companies increased 300 per cent, 
in the same period. 

THE NEW COMPANY. 

The Lowell & Suburban Street railway 
company is the outcome of the consolida- 
tion of the two companies. Its officers 
are : E. M. Tucke, president ; August 
Fels, vice-president ; Percy Parker, trea- 
surer ; P. F. Sullivan, secretary; directors 
E. M. Tucke, A. Fels, P. Parker, P. F. 
Sullivan, T. Costello, E. A. Smith, W. 
M. Sawyer, F. W. Howe, S. Bachman, 
M. F. Brennan and J. Lennon, and its 
capital stock is $300,000. It has adopted 
plans for the development of the service 
which will ultimately involve an outlay 
of $r, 000,000. These plans are justified 
Ijy the needs of the community and by 
the constantly growing demand for ex- 
tended service. 



27 



The board of aldermen have given the 
company license to double its tracks in all 
streets where they are now laid, to extend 
its tracks to the city line and also to set 
up poles and maintain an electrical eqLiip- 
nient. These are great privileges and the 
company is preparing to make the most of 
its advantage. 

The Lowell & Dracut Company was 
one of the first in the state to adopt elec- 
tricity as a motive power. It ran its first 
cars by that force, August i, 1SS9. It had 
then eight cars, it now has eighteen fitted 
with motors. Its success, its economy and 
great utility have united to induce the 
directors of the new road to adopt electri- 
city for the entire street railway system. 

rhe plans for a power station have been 
prepared. The building will be locateil 
at the corner of Middlesex and Pawtucket 
streets and will contain a plant of 3,000 
horse power. That, with an average of 
20 horse power to a car, will supply mo- 
tive energy for 100 cars. 

With this building will be constructeil 
a car house and repair shops. A short 
spur track will bring coal from the ad- 



joining railroad into the boiler house and 
all material needed for equipment. 

All the tracks on the main lines will be 
doubled. Under the present system the 
cars run on i^ minute time; when the 
tracks are doul^led it will be possible to 
rim on shorter time and iiive the public a 
much more rapid service. It will cost 
$300,000 to double the tracks and make 
the proposed extensions. These are from 
the Bridge street terminus to the "Yellow 
meeting house" in Dracut ; from the Midd- 
lesex street terminus through Middlesex 
village to North Chelmsford ; from the 
Chelmsford street terminirs to Chelmsford 
centre ; from the Gorham street terminus 
to North Billerica, and from the Nesmith 
street terminus to Phenix. 

Thus will all the manufacturing suburbs 
be brought into closer unity with the city, 
and the people in the denser quarters will 
be invited to the occupancy of the land 
that lies between those villages and the 
city, these extensions will add much to the 
valuation of the city, for the most distant 
point will be within 15 minutes ride of 
the business centre. 



RAILROAD FACILITIES. 



LOWELL ENJOYS EXCEPTIONAL AD\-ANTAGES AND A SPECIALLY ACCOMMODATING 

SERVICE. 



Lowell enjoys exceptional railroad facili- 
ties. The Boston & Lowell railroad was 
projected by Patrick T. Jackson, the 
founder of our cotton industry, and com- 
pleted in"iS34. ^^ ^"^'''^ '-"^^ °^' '■'^^ earliest 
railroads in the United States. 

The Lowell & Nashua railroad w is sub- 
sequently built and then followed the 
Stonybrook railroad, the Framingham 
railroad, the Salem railroad, and the 
Andover railroad. 

Lowell is connected with a system which 
furnishes transportation to every section of 
the country. With the exception of the 
Framingham railroad, all the roads enter- 
ing Lowell arc now part of the Boston & 
Maine system. 

The Boston & Lowell railroad, or the 
southern division of the Boston & Maine, 
is 26 miles in length. Its terminus in 
Lowell is at the Merrimack street station. 
It has direct connections with the Lowell 
& Nashua, the Stonybrook, the Rochester, 
the Concord, the Northern, the Worcester, 
Nashua & Portland, the Montpelier & 



Wells River, the Vermont Central, the 
Passumpsic, the Claremont & Peterboro, 
the Concord & Montreal and the Canadian 
Pacific railroads. Goods are now shipped 
direct from our mill yards to the Pacific 
Coast for China and Japan. Lowell is on 
the direct line of travel to Canada and the 
White Mountains. 

The Stonybrook railroad runs from 
North Chelmsford to Ayer Junction mak- 
ing connections with the Fitchburg and 
the Worcester and Nashua railroads. 

The Lowell and Salem railroad connects 
Lowell with that port and the intervening 
cities and towns. 

The Lowell and Andover railroad has 
its terminus in the Central Street Station. 
It is a branch of the Northern Division of 
the Boston and Maine railroad, having 
direct communication with Nevvburyport, 
and the coast towns lying between that 
city and Portland, Me. At Portland it 
makes close connections with the Porthuul 
and Ogdensburgh, the Maine Central and 
the Grand Trunk railroads. 



■IS 



The Fnimingham is a branch of the Old 
Colony, running from South Framingham 
to Lowell. It is a direct line to Fall River, 
Providence and New York from which 
places there are two through trains every 
day. 

There are three stations in Lowell, one in 
Central street, one in Merrimack street 
and one in Middlesex street; the latter is 
the principal station, and among the im- 
provements contemplated by Manager 
Furber, are a handsome and more commo- 
dious building to replace a structure which 
is both out of date and hopelessly inade- 
quate to accomodate the public. 

The company has made many recent 
changes in the freight department. It has 
acquired much land in the neighborhood 
of the Middlesex street station and on the 
line of Gorham street has built several 
spacious freight sheds. These, in addition 
to the freight yards in Western avenue, 
the yards of the Lcwell and Andover rail- 
road and the newly acquired yards near 
the Concord river, will enable the lailroad 
company to give our local trade a prompt, 
convenient and efficient service. 

The city is a net-work of spur tracks 



running from the main lines to the mill 
yards. Tiie Framingham road aLso has 
a spur line running to the industries in 
Aver city. On all these numerous lines of 
railroad there is more or less land that is 
desirable for manufacturing purposes. 
The tariff" rates are not high and the ser- 
vice is accomodatingly frecjuent. 

There are 33 trains from Boston on the 
Southern division, everv day, and i3 on 
the Western tlivision, a total of 3s trains 
a day from the capital The number of 
trains from Lowell to Boston on the 
.Southern division, is 23 and on the 
Western division, 13. There are in all 
71 trains in tlie daily service between 
Boston and Lowell. 

There are three daily express trains to 
and from Montreal and an etjual number 
m the White Mountains service tluring the 
summer season. There are six daily tiains 
to and from Salem ; 36 daily trains between 
Lowell and Lawrence, and 20 daily trains 
between Lowell and Ha\erhill. 

The improvements which are contem- 
plated at the Jliddlesex street station will 
be commenced as soon as the vexed ques- 
tion of grade crossings is definitely settled. 



RESIDENTIAL. 

THE SEN'ERAL SECTIONS OF THE CITY WJIEKE THE PEOPLE LIVE. 



Lowell is most attractiveU' located and 
the home sections of the city have each 
a distinctive name. They are Belvidere, 
Oaklands, Centralville, the Highlands and 
Pawtucketville. 



1!EL\]DERE. 

Belvidere is built upon a hill and is one 
of the most beautiful sections of the city. 
It is here that ex-Governor Butler lives, 
and his house has a most charming view 
of the river as it rushes under the Central- 
ville heights over the rocky bed of Hunt's 
falls. Nesmith street, named after the late 
John Nesmith, at one time lieutenant- 
governor of the state, is a beautiful 
thoroughfare, shaded with fine trees. At 
the farther end of this street is the Rogers 
Fort Hill Fark, 200 feet above the level of 
the city. Andover street runs along the 
heights above the river and is lined with 
beautiful residences. The neighborhood 
of Park Garden is peaceful and picturescjue 
and there are many fine old residences in 
that vicinity. 



OAKLAN'DS. 

Oaklands is a recently opened territory 
in the region of Belvidere, one of the 
most attiactive of the several residential 
Sections of the city. The territory com- 
prises 165 acres, and is the property of a 
syndicate consisting of Messrs. Shepard, 
Russell & Fuller. The larger part of this 
territory is situated in Lowell ; the rest lies 
in the town of Tewksburv. 

Fort Hill Park is 300 feet high. It 
commands an extensive view of the sur- 
rounding country. Lving to the east of 
the park are two other eminences of similar 
height. One of these is Belvidere, the 
other is Oaklands. Oaklands begins in 
the valley behind the elevation of Behi- 
dere, and extends upward until it reaches 
a parallel height and overlooks the resid- 
ence of Gen. Butler. 

Here, the view is superb, bounded by 
the horizon 29 miles distant. On a clear 
night, the light at Minot"s Ledge can be 
distinctly discerned. Lawrence, the Read- 
ings, Danvers and Somerville are in sight. 




• ODD -FELLOWS BUILDING* 
+i. DWELL MA-33 + 

MERPILL & CVTLEP a rchtj 



to WELL 



30 



and Tewksbuiy and Andover are part of 
the panorama which makes this section so 
delightful. To the north, gUmpses may 
he obtained of the New Hampshire hills, 
and to the south lie the Chelmsfords with 
their dense \voods and the Billericas with 
their spires and gleaming fields. Two 
rivers are in sight, the picturesque Merri- 
mack wending eastward to Lawrence and 
the sea, and the classic Concord meander- 
ing through the meadows of Billerica. 
At this elevation the air is cool even in the 
■fervency of summer, and the hill of Belvi- 
dere breaks the winter wind before it 
reaches Oaklands. 

The land is a clayev gravel which makes 
excellent roads and affords dry and com- 
fortable building sites. Formerly, the hill 
was covered with a heavy growth of oak, 
but now it has been stripped with a judi- 
cious selection of much of the timber. 
There are shady groves here and there, 
and wherever it has been possible to spare 
a tree on the line of the avenues it has been 
spared. 

At the crest of the hill, at what was 
once the Ho\'ey farm, there is a crescent 
partiall}' laid out, upon what it was the 
late Mr. Hovey's ambition to see an Epis- 
copal college established. The present 
owners, in laying out Holyrood avenue 
will follow the lines laid down by Mr. 
Hovey, marked by hiin with a row of 
elms. 

On the brow of the hill arc tuo acres 
of land preserved by Mr. Hovey's will, 
for the accommodation of an Episcopal 
church. 

This territory is traversed by avenues 
50 feet wide and by cross streets. Han- 
over avenue goes, straight as crows fly, 
from Andover street to the Boston & 
Lowell railroad tracks, is a mile and a 
half long. Park View avenue lies parallel 
and further up the hill. 

There are 450 lots, averaging 6000 square 
feet each, on this hill territory, and of that 
number 150 have been sold. A number 
of beautiful residences have been erected. 
ALany more are in course of construction. 
The streets are under municipal control, 
and gas and city water are accommoda- 
tions enjoyed by everybodv- There is a 
fifteen-minute-horse-car service and the 
post-ofHce is only 15 minutes' distant. 



CENTRALVILI.E. 

Centralville lies on the north side of the 
Merrimack river. It is reached bv two 



magnificent iron bridges over which the 
street railways pass. The heights of 
Centralville, on the summit of which the 
city reservoirs are located, rise 200 feet 
above the level of the river. Thev com- 
mand a fine view of the lower city, of 
the surrounding country and the moun- 
tains to the north and west. 

It is one of the most favored home sec- 
tions of the citv. There are some rare old 
houses there which stand monuments to 
the good taste, the comfort and the hospi- 
tality of the earlv settlers. The Parker, 
Ilildreth, Tucke and McEvoy houses are 
types of the early day. 

On the lower grounds of Centralville 
the land is level until it reaches the neigh- 
borhood of Crescent hill. Here it rises 
again, and again the character of the houses 
change; for while on the low land the 
tenements prevail, in the highlands the 
individual dwelling is the rule. The streets 
are finely shaded with rare old trees. 

THE HIGHLANDS. 

Twenty years ago, the Highlands was 
a farming district. There were oak and 
pine woods upon it fifteen years ago. It is 
now one of the great residence sections of 
the city. People who live in the High- 
lands would not live anywhere else ; the}' 
say the section excels Belvidere and per- 
haps it will when its trees have cast more 
shade than they do now, for the streets and 
thoroughfares are none of them more than 
15 years old. The houses here are well 
separated and green lawns and shady 
gardens are everywhere the rule. Buil- 
ding operations are very lively in this 
district ; and the men who reside here 
have recently founded a club and will build 
a club house of generous dimensions upon 
a sightly eminence. 

PAWTUCKETVILLE. 

This delightful section has but recently 
been opened up to general occupation. It 
is on the north side of the Merrimack, and 
through it the river tumbles in the pictur- 
esfjiie and rugged beauty of Pawtucket ra- 
pids. The rapids are spanned by a sub- 
stantial iron bridge from which the view 
of the falls is one of the most attractive in 
the city. 

The city authorities have laid out a 
magnificent boulevard along the river bank 
in this section, and the improvement will 
I'ring a great deal of very desirable land 
into the market. There are some fine resi- 



31 



clences in tliis quarter, among them those 
of Miss Lucy Fay and A. C. Varnum. 

The land lying between Varnum ave- 
nue and the boulevard is owned by Daniel 
Gage, Lucy Fay, William H. Hill, heirs 



of VVillard Coburn, Mrs. C. A. Green, 
J. M. Wilson, Dr. Geo. Clement, T. J. 
Underwood, Geo. L. Goodale, Edward tS. 
Howe. The tract contains from 350 to 
300 acres. 



LOWELL'S EXCEPTIONAL PRIVILEGE IN CHEAP ILLUMINATION. 



A large share of the cit\'s artificial light 
is still SLipplied by the Lowell Gas Light 
company. This company was incorpor- 
ated in 1S49 ^^'t'l <i capital of $^00,000. 
Its extensive plant is located on School 
street near the tracks of the Nashua & 
Lowell Railroad. 

The annual consumption of coal by this 
company reaches over 20,000 tons, from 
which are produced 3115,000,000 cubic feet 
of illuminating gas of excellent cjualitv. 
The gas service of the city is furnished 
through nearly seventy-five miles of mains 
reaching well into the remote residential 
districts. The exceedingly low price at 
which the company has been able to 
furnish gas and still earn for its stock- 
holders handsome dividends, has brought 
it about that the question of municipal 
lighting has so far possessed but little in- 
terest for Lowell. 

The figures of the table which follows, 
made up from the average price per thou- 
sand at which gas was fLn'nished in the 
principal cities and towns in Massachu- 
setts during the year 1SS9-90, will seem 
to show that Lowell easily leads all iier 
sister cities in this respect. Contrary 
to the usual practice, the Lowell company 



has but one price, alike for both large and 
small consumer. With the liberal dis- 
count of 30 per cent, for prompt payment, 
Lowell's gas easily leads the list. 



Lowell 
Bijston 
Brocton 
Camliridge - 
Chelsea 
Kail River - 
p'itcliburg - 
(Gloucester - 
Haverhill - 
Holyoke 
Ipswich 
Jamaica Plain 
Lawrence - 
Lynn 
Maiden 
New Bedford 
Nevvljuryport 
Salem 

Springfield - 
Waltham - 
Woburn 
Worcester - 



$L.lO 

i-23 
2.09 
1.67 
1.96 

'■57 
1.92 
1.81 
1.40 
1.5S 
3.01 
2.00 
1.41 
1.76 
1.95 
1.52 
2.01 
I. So 
1.68 
1.80 
1.78 
1.50 



The officers of the company are Sewall 
G. Mack, president; Jacob Rogers, trea- 
surer ; D. B. Bartlett, clerk ; Sewell G. 
Mack, Jacob Rogers, James B. Francis, 
Levi Sprague and John F. Kimball, 
directors. 



ELECTRICITY. 

ONE OF THE BEST EqUIPPED PLANTS IN NEW ENGLAND FOR LIGHTING AXD POWER. 



The artificial illumination of Lowell, 
aside from the gas and gasoline lights — 
the latter in the suburbs only — rests en- 
tirely with one large and flourishing body, 
the Lowell Electric Light Corporation. 
It is a body which first organized on a 
small scale and gradually extended its 
scope so as to entirely control the business 
of lighting our streets, places of business 
and even homes, with electricity. The 
corporation is purely of local origin and 
Lowell men still control and guide its for- 
tunes. It first organized in iSSi under 
state laws, with a capital of $ro,ooo, com- 
mencing with two Weston arc light ma- 



chines, and, leasing power from an accom- 
modating saw mill. 

A year later, the Middlesex Electric 
Light Company was formed and estab- 
lished a small plant on Middle street. The 
Thomson Houston system was introduced, 
and a little later the latter company bought 
out the Weston Company. 

The business increased as the demand 
for electric lighting became general, and 
the Middle street plant became one of no 
mean proportions. Two years ago, the 
company reorganized imder the name it 
now bears. Steps were taken to secure a 
site for a plant which would fully meet 




o 



-1 
o 
2 

H 

w 



33 



future requirements. A site was secured 
on the line of Boston and Maine railroad, 
in Belvidere anil operations commenced. 

The new station on Perry street, com- 
pleted and occupied about Feb. i, 1S91, 
is designed for 3000 h. p. There is a 
main building of two stories in height, 
with a large boiler room adjoining the 
easterly end, and a coal shed capable of 
holding a thousand tons of fuel. The 
boiler room is 66xg6 feet with accommo- 
dations for 16 horizontal tubular boilers 72 
inches in diameter, 17 feet long, each con- 
taining 140 three inch tubes, built by 
Scannell and Wholley of this city. The 
boilers are in two rows and between them 
are the smoke flues entering a chimney 175 
feet high with a 7 foot bore. All pipes 
from the boilers to adjuncts are of brass ; 
the steam pipes vary from 5 to 14 inches in 
diameter. The feeding sources are one 
each of Knowles and VVorthington piunps 
and Hancock inspirator. 

The engine room in the main part is 
140x4^ feet, on the second story, and it 
contains at present one 350 h. p. cross 
compound Harris-Corliss engine with 
cylinders 8x30 inches with 36 inch stroke : 
one 200 h. p. Atlas engine of high pres- 
sure ; one 500 h. p. tandem compound 
Harris-Corliss engine with cylinders 
32,440 inches and 48 inch stroke ; also 
a 300 h. p. cross compound condensing 
engine. There is space for two more en- 
gines of large capacity. 

The engines are set on heavy granite 
foundations. Under the engine room 
there are two Knowles condensers for the 
Corliss engines, a Harris condenser ; an 
air pump ; a 500 h. p. national feed water 
heater and two smaller heaters. On the 
groimd level on the other side of the buil- 
ding is the shafting room containing the 
best set line of shafting in New England. 
The foundations are of Conway granite 
resting on a 13 inch bed of concrete made 
of broken stone and cement. The main 
journal bearings are supported on solid 
granite stands. The main pulley driven 



from the ^00 h. p. engine is 7- inches in 
diameter by 53 inches face. The belt 
passes under an idler or belt tightener. 
Two eclipse clutches 48 and 50 inches in 
diameter are on the journal. Other clut- 
ches subdivide the line of shafting. 

The dynamo room is overhead and con- 
tains 13 50-light Thomson-Houston arc 
light dynamos, two 50 h. p. 500 volt 
Thomson-Houston generators for statio- 
nary motors, four 100 h. p. Bentley- 
Knight railway generators, two 1300 light 
and one 1000 light alternating incandescent 
dvnamos. 

The station is wired with okonite and 
the switch boards and appurtenances are 
of the very latest and best adapted styles. 

The entire construction of the building 
is of the heaviest and most substantial kind 
and the Lowell station is probably the 
best appointed in New England. 

The plant is to be increased in size and 
the capabilities for fLunishing electrical 
motive and illuminating power to be deve- 
loped to the utmost. The corporation has 
quite recently taken hold of the EdJy 
motor, pronounced to be among the best 
in use, and as sale agents and introduce) s 
of it in this section, will use it in connec- 
tion with the plant. The corporation sell 
the motors outright in sizes from l-S to 40 
h. p. and are able to supply the necessary 
current to run them in any part of the city. 
To this fact they call particular attention, 
believing that small and independent in- 
dustries may be established in manj- sec- 
tions of the city, for which the power mav 
be furnished through the joint medium of 
an Eddy motor and an electrical current. 

The officers of the company are George 
W. Fifield, president ; William A. Ing- 
ham, vice president; John H. McAlvin, 
treasurer and secretary ; L. I. Fletcher, 
manager ; directors, G. W. Fifield, W. A. 
Ingham, J. H. McAlvin, L. I. Fletcher, 
Lo\vell, jas. H. Tolles, Charles F. Col- 
lins, Nashua, N. H., Cyrus Conant, Con- 
cord, Mass. 



34 




;LcwELlCi?ICKET CLUB;pROPL"'<)fD f^viLicyf: 



LOWELL'S TELEPHONE SYSTEM. 



The first record of a petition for leave 
to erect wires on buildings and on poles 
for the construction of a telephone system 
in Lowell came from the New England 
Telephone Company, March 12, 1S7S, 
and was signed by Charles J. Glidden. 
It was referred to the Committee on Lands 
and Buildings of the City Council, March 
26th of that year, the committee consist- 
ing of H. R. Barker, George F. Scribner, 
Charles H. Harvey, Robert Goulding and 
Samuel D. Butterworth, reported in favor 
of the petition and the petition was 
granted. 

It does not follow, however, that the 
New England Telephone Company was 
the first to do business in Lowell. Wil- 
liam H. Bent, who was interested in the 
formation of the early telephone com- 
panies believes the Pioneer Telephone 
Company, doing business between this 
city and Boston was the first company in 
the field, and that the Lowell Telephone 
Exchange was the first to accommodate 
the public. Others say Providence, R. I., 
opened a telephone exchange about the 
same time as Lowell. 

Accortling to a resident familiar with 
the business, the Lowell District Tele- 



phone Company was organized in 1S79, 
with a capital of $15,000. The rapid de- 
velopment of the use of the teleplione was 
shown by an advertisement of this com- 
pany in iSSo, in which it was asseited that 
the company had 500 stations in Lowell 
and 1000 in Boston and suburbs. The 
Lowell central office was then at Room 12, 
SJiattuck's block, W. A. Ingham was 
president and Charles J. Glidden, treas- 
urer anti manager. 

In iSSo, consolidation of the Lowell 
District Telephone Company was per- 
fected with the Worcester Company, and 
afterward with the National Bell Company 
of Maine, under the name of the Lowell 
District Telephone Company. The capi- 
tal stock of the new company w'as $1,500,- 
000. 

In October, 1S83, the consolidation of 
the National Bell of Maine Company, the 
Granite State, Boston & Northern, Bay 
State, Suburban and Lowell District Tele- 
phone Companies, was consummated in 
what is now known as the New England 
Telephone Company. The capital of the 
new company was $12,000,000. The 
officers of that company are : Thomas 
Sherwin, president; H. S. Hyde, vice 



35 



president; W. K. Driver, treasurer; S. 
W. Leedom, secretary and auditor; J. N. 
Keller, general manager. J. W. Duxbury 
is superintendent of District No. i, which 
includes Lowell. 

W. H. Lincoln is manager of the 
Lowell exchange of the company. There 
areSo2 subscribers in the Lowell exchange, 
and in addition to the many miles of line 
which cover the citv and surrounding 
towns, the company has 13 ex-territorial 
lines, allowing commimication with all the 
cities and towns in its territory having 
subscribers. Miss Nellie Hines is the 
chief operator, and ten assistants answer 
the hundreds of calls in the day and even- 
ing- 

Of the many citizens who were inter- 
ested in the organization of the lirst 
telephone companies, William A. Ingham, 



Charles J. Gliddcn, A. A. Coburn, Loren 
N. Downs and William H. Bent were the 
best known. 

They also aided in establishing the Erie 
Telephone Company, which has territory 
in Ohio, Texas, Arkansas, ]Minnesota and 
Dakota. Levi Sprague is president of the 
Erie company at present, antl Charles J. 
Glidden, Francis Jewett, A. C. Russell, 
A. S. Adams, C. E. Adams and J- W. C. 
Pickering are directors. Charles J. Glid- 
den is secretary and treasurer. 

Frederick Ayer, Dr. M. G. Parker and 
other Lowell citizens are large holders of 
New England Company's stoek. 

Lowell citizens also largely aided in 
establishing the Union Telegraph and 
Telephone Company of Northern New 
York, and own considerable stock of the 
company at present. 



INCORPORATED INDUSTRIES. 



MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THOliSANDS OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETIIEK FOR GOOD. 



There are in Lowell 43 companies 
chartered under the laws of the State, 
whose aggregate capital is $iS,2iS,ooo, 
and whose combined assets are $34,628,- 
261. These figures do not include the 
hundred private establishments whose mil- 
lions of capital and assets are not available 
for statistics, since they make no returns 
to the authorities of the Commonwealth. 

No other city has a greater number and 
variety of industries, as no other city has 
so large a proportion of its total popula- 
lation employed in remunerative occupa- 
tions from day to day. Therein is the re- 
markable strength and staying power of 
the city, which has maintained a steady 
and uniform growth, albeit a rapid one, 
and which promises so much for its future 
development. 

Some idea of the people thus employed 
may be gleaned from the figures quoted 
below. Beside the incorporated indus- 
tries of the citv all other industries of any 
importance are given : 

Cotton mills, Merrimack Company, in- 
corporated 1S22 ; capital stock, $2,500,- 
000; number of spindles, 156,480; num- 
ber of looms, 4607; employ 3000 hands; 
Joseph S. Liidlam, agent. 

Hamilton Company, incorporated 1S25 ; 
capital stock, $1,800,000; number of 
spindles, 109,816; number of looms, 



3030; employ 1850 hands; O. H. Moul- 
ton, agent. 

Appleton Companv, incorporated 182S ; 
capital stock, $600,000 ; number of spind- 
les, 50,776 ; number of looms, 1639, em- 
ploy 82 5 hands ; C. H. Richardson, agent. 

Lawrence Company, incorporated 1S31 ; 
capital stock, $1,500,000; number of 
spindles, 120,000; number of looms, 
3432; employ 3140 hands ; John Kilburn, 
agent. 

Boott Companv, incorporated 1835 ; 
capital stock, $1,200,000; number of 
spindles, 151,192; number of looms, 
4139; employ 3210 hands; Alexander G. 
Cumnock, agent. 

Massachusetts Company, incorporated 
1S39; capital stock, $1,800,000; number 
of spindles, 136,648; number of looms, 
3905 : employ 1800 hands ; William S. 
South worth, agent. 

Tremont and Sutiblk Company, incor- 
porated as two companies in 1831, con- 
solidated in 1871 ; capital stock, $1,200,- 
000; number of spindles, 114,000; num- 
ber of looms, 3900 ; employ 2000 hands ; 
Edward W. Thomas, agent. 

Woolen Mills, Lowell Manufecturing 
Company, incorporated 1828 ; capital 
stock, $2,000,000; number of spindles, 
24,750; number of looms, 385; employ 
3 100 hands; A. S. Lyon, superintendent. 



3G 



Middlesex Company, incorporated 
iS'^o: capitr.l stock, $750,000: nuniber of 
spindles, 18,640; nmnber of looms, 200; 
employ 700 hands; Oliver H. Perry, 
agent. 

Lowell Machine Shop, incorporated 
1S45 ; capital stock, $900,000; emplo}- 
1500 hands; Charles L. Hildreth, super- 
intendent. 

Lowell Bleachery and Dye Works, in- 
corporated 1S32 ; capital stock, $400,0 o ; 
employ 262 hands; James N. Bourne, 
agent. 

New England Bunting Conipanv, rims 
70 looms; employ 75 hands; E. S. IIv- 
lan, manager. 

United States Bunting Company, has 
5000 spindles and 250 looms: employ 700 
hands; Walter H. McDaniels, manager. 

Belvidere Woolen Company, employ 
250 hands ; Char'e's A. Stott, agent. 

L. W. Faulkner & Sons, manufacturers 
of dress goods, flannels and gents ' suit- 
ings ; employ 500 hands. 

Stirling Flannel Mills, employ 135 
hands; E. D. Ilolden, agent. 

Crossley Company, flannels, dress goods 
and cloakings; employ 100 hands. 

VV. H. Carter, dress goods ; employs 50 
hands. 

United States Cord Company, employ 
15 hands. 

Cutter & Walker Company, suspenders, 
shoe linings, etc. ; employ 30 hands. 

Lowell Goring Works; employ 12 
hands. 

Novelty Suspender Works ; emplo\ 35 
hands. 

Thorndike ALanufacturing Company, 
suspenders; employ 150 hands. 

W. L. Davis, manufacturer of webbing ; 
employs 15 hands. 

Lowell Hosiery Company ; employ 300 
hands. 

Shaw Stocking Company; employ 500 
hands ; George L. Hooper, manager. 

Brown's Hosiery; employs 13 hands. 

Criterion Knitting Company, jersey 
vests; employ 15 hands. 

Pickering Knitting Compain', men's 
underwear ; employ 200 hands. 

Excelsior Knitting Works, jersey under- 
wear ; employ i 5 hands. 

Sugden Bagging Company; employ 5 
hands. 

Samuel G. Cooper, and Parsons & 
Mealey, copper stamps and stencils ; em- 
ploy 6 hands each. 



Lladnek Print ami Dye Works ; employ 
60 hands. 

Walsh Worsted Mills; employ 150 
hands. 

Lowell Worsted Mills ; employ 90 
hands. 

John M. Pevey, cotton yarns ; employs 
100 hands. 

Whittier Cotton Mills, yarns, twines, 
etc. ; employ 75 hands. 

M. & B. Rhodes, worsted yarns ; em- 
ploy 13 hands. 

Josiah Gates & Sons, belting, etc. ; em- 
ploy 30 hands. 

Whiting & Weston, belting ; employ S 
hands. 

Wm. H. Parker & Sons, bobbins, 
spools, etc. : employ 200 hands. 

John L. Cheney & Co., bobbins, spools 
and shuttles ; employ 75 hands. 

Samuel E. & T. Stott, card clothing, 
wool combs, etc. ; employ 50 hands. 

W. H. Bagshaw, card clothing, card 
pins, etc. ; employs 25 hands. 

J^owell Card Company; employ 22 
hands. 

Amravtoon Paper Tube Company, em- 
ploys 25 hands. Cop tubes also manufiic- 
.tured by Haworth & W.->tson, Acme Com- 
pany and Conical Cop Tube Company. 

George W. ILirris, loom harnesses ; 
employs 35 hands, 

D. C. Brown, loom harnesses and 
reeds ; employs 30 hands. 

John Tripp & Company-, roll coverings; 
employ 16 hands. 

Coburn Shuttle Company ; employ 40 
hands. 

Jaques Shuttle Company ; employ 35 
hands. 

Lowell Steam Boiler Works ; employ 
from 40 to 70 hands. 

Scannell tS: Wholey, steam boilers, etc. ; 
employ 40 hands. 

James A. Ready, boilers, fire escapes, 
etc. ; employs 15 hands. 

American Bolt Company ; employs 150 
hands. 

United States Cartridge Company : em- 
ploys 200 hands. 

Dougherty Bros., iron and brass found- 
ers ; employ 75 hands. A. F. Nichols, 
50 hands. Pevey Bros., 70 hands. I'nion 
Iron Foundry, 40 hands. 

Daniel Lovejoy & Sons, machine kni\es ; 
employ 25 hands. 

D. H. Wilson & Company, copper 
work; employ 17 hands. 



'' 11 iiHII "111 I Tp^ 1^?^ r=: 



1. ,M ^f 




W. A. Mack & Company and Daniel 
Gushing & Company, galvanized iron 
workers ; employ iS hands each. 

George L. Cady and Cyrus Perkins, 
machinists' tools; employ lo and 5 hands 
respectively. 

W. W. Carey, wood-working ma- 
chinery ; employs 50 hands. 

Middlesex Machine Company ; employ 
iS hands. 

J. Clark, cotton machinery ; employs 
iS hands. 

George W. Fifield, machinists' tools; 
employs 60 hands. 

Kitson Machine Company ; employ 335 
hands. 

Lowell Tool and Engine Company ; 
employ 30 hands. 

F. S. Perkins, lathes and machinists' 
tools; employs from 50 to 75 hands. 

A. L. Wright, engine lathes ; employs 
30 hands. 

Knowles Scale Works ; employ 1 2 
hands. 

Lowell Scale Company ; employ 6 
hands. 

Swain Turbine and Manufacturing Com- 
pany, work done by contract. 

American Wire Goods Company ; em- 
ploy 30 hands. 

Rice & Company, wire goods; employ 
50 hands. 

Woods, Sherwood & Company, wire 
goods and plating; employ 7^ hands. 

Otis Allen & Son, wooden boxes ; em- 
ploy 100 hands. 

A. L. Brooks & Company, packing 
cases and mouldings ; employ 55 hands. 

Davis & Sargent, boxes ; employ 45 
hands. 

Allen & Thompson, boxes ; employ 35 
hands. 

A. Bachelder & Company, bungs and 
plugs ; employ 10 hands. 

Lamson Consolidated Store Service 
Company ; employ 330 hands. 

A. P. Bateman, doors, sashes, etc. ; 
employs 30 hands. 

S. W. Fletcher, doors, window frames, 
etc. ; employs 30 hands. 

Wm. Kelly & Son, doors, blinds, etc. ; 
employ 20 hands. 

J. G. Peabody & Sons, doors and 
sashes ; employ 30 hands. 

Amasa Pratt & Company, doors, etc. ; 
employ- 50 hands. 

Marshall & Crosby, furnitm-e ; employ 
40 hands. 



John Welch, furniture ; employs 30 
hands. 

C. L Tayloi' & Company, furniture ; 
employ 17 hands. 

Mark Holmes, Jr. & Son, house finish ; 
employ 10 hands. 

Middlesex Friction Match Company ; 
employ 50 hands. 

G. W. Bagley and R. J. Colcord, re- 
frigerators; employ 15 hands each. 

Merrimack Croquet Company ; employ 
about 60 hands. 

John Pilling, boots and shoes ; employs 
140 hands. 

J. M. Storer, boots and shoes ; employs 
So hands. 

F. E. Jewett & Company, cider vine- 
gar ; employ 35 hands. 

Bacheller, Dumas & Company, book 
binding: employ 20 hands. " 

Fa)' Bros. & Hosford, carriages, sleighs, 
etc. ; employ 14 hands. 

Sawyer Carriage Company ; employ 32 
hands. Other manufacturers are J. H. 
Swett, E. P. Bryant, and G. F. Hill. 

C. A. Kendall, cement pipes ; employs 
10 hands. 

Lowell Felting Mills ; employ 30 hands. 

Andrews & Wheeler, marble and stone 
work ; employ 25 hands. Other stone 
workers are L. D. Gumb, C. C. Laurin, 
Wm. Andrews, James Mahan, Charles 
Runels and T. H. Spencer. 

E. Hapgood & Son, mattresses ; em- 
ploy 35 hands. 

L. W. Hawkcs & Company, furniture 
and mattresses; employ 12 hands. 

W. H. Hope & Company, milled ma- 
chine screws, etc. ; employ 15 hands. 

C. F. Hatch & Companj-, paper boxes ; 
employ from So to 100 hands. 

Charles Littlefield & Company, paper 
boxes ; employ 40 hands. 

E. W. Hoyt & Company, cologne ; em- 
ploy 35 hands. 

Novelty Plaster Works ; employ 30 
hands. 

J. C. Ayer Compan}', medicines ; em- 
ploy 31S hands. 

C. I. Hood & Company, medicines ; 
employ 375 hands. 

Moxie Nerve Food Company ; employ 
50 hands. 

Arey, Maddock & Locke, tanning and 
currying; employ from 135 to 150 hands. 

White Bros. & Company, leather manu- 
facturers ; employ 250 hands. 

W. H. Carter, wool scourer; employs 
56 hands. 



39 



MANUFACTURING SUBURBS. 



THE jiusY villa(;es that surround, 

There are in the immediate vicinity of 
Lowell, five villages or settlements, built 
and maintainetl by the industries there 
established. They are North Billerica, 
North Chelmsford, Collinsville, Navy 
Yard and Phoenix. The people emplo\ed 
in these industries spend their earnings 
in Lowell. 



NORTH BILLERICA. 

The village of North Billerica is situated 
on the banks of the Concord River — four 
miles from Lowell. It has a population 
of looo and three flourishing industries. 
It was here that the late Gov. Talbot 
resided, and the village owes much of its 
prosperous comfort to his generous care. 
Mrs. Talbot, his widow, has just had con- 
structed a beautiful memorial hall for the 
use of the people of the town. The town 
hall was recently destroyed by fire, but 
plans have been prepared for the building 
of a new one. 

There are three churches in the village. 
Baptist, Episcopal and Catholic. The 
first was built by Gov. Talbot ; the Talbot 
heirs gave the land for the second, and 
the third has had much substantial assist- 
ance from the Talbot family. 

There is a well provided library con- 
nected with the Talbot mills ; and the 
Father Mathew Temperance Institute has 
quite recentlv erected a very fine building 
on land given it by the Talbots. 

The Talbot school is a modern buikling 
containing graded schools. There is a 
fire company in the village, and an appro- 
priation has recently been made for the 
purchase of a steam fire engine. 

The taxes are $io per $1000. 

The Concord River furnishes an aver- 
age of 500 horse power. 

The Talbot mills manufacture dress 
goods, flannels and carriage cloths, 3,000,- 
000 yards a year. They employ 375 
hands, and the volume of their business 
is $1,500,000 a year. The officers are 
Solomon Lincoln, president ; F. S. Clark, 
treasurer, and James Stott, superinten- 
dent. 

The Faulkner Manutacturing Company 
makes flannels, and employs 90 hands. 
The volume of business is about $1,000, 



\ND MAKE THEIR MARKET IN LOWELL. 

000 a year, and the number of yards manu- 
factured 1,090,000. 

Talbot Dye wood & Chemical Com- 
pany, manufactures nitric, muriatic and 
sulphuric acids, oil vitriol, blue vitriol 
and other manufacturing chemicals. It 
employs 30 men, and the yearly volume 
of business will reach $500,000. The 
officers are J. D. Gould, president ; James 
F. Preston, treasurer. The Company has 
an office and store at No. 34 Middle street, 
Lowell. 



That portion of Dracut lying on Beaver 
Brook near its confluence with the Merri- 
mack River, is known as the " Navy 
Yard." It must have been a local wag 
who so christened it, for the only navy in 
that vicinity is composed of a few old 
dorys and flat-bottomed boats. The village 
is but a short distance from the city line, 
and is reached by the electric cars, which 
run to Lake Mascuppic. 

Beaver Brook furnishes 100 horse power. 

The Merrimack woollen mills, manu- 
facture 144,000 yards of cloakings, 
48,000 yards of dress goods and 
96,000 shawls per annum, and employs 
450 hands. The volume of business for a 
year is $3,000,000. The mills are owned 
by Solomon Bachman, No. 87 Worth 
street. New York ; the present agent is 
August Fels. 

Parker & Bassett manufacture 5000 
pounds of paper and employ 15 men. 
Their business will average $150,000 a 
year. 

At Collinsville, further up tlie brook, 
there is quite a settlement clustered about 
the mills belonging to Michael Collins. 
These employ 360 hands and manufacture 
328,000 yards of heavy woollens per an- 
num. The volume of business is close to 
$1,500,000. 

CHELMSFORD. 

West, beyond Middlesex Village, lies 
the thriving village of North Chelmsford. 
Its industries are important and afford em- 
ployment to 500 people. It is the terminus 
of the Stonybrook railroad running to 
Ayer Junction, and is on the line of the 



40 



Lowell and Nashua railroad. The Stony- 
brook furnishes 200 horse power. There 
is no finer or more desirable place for the 
location of industries. It is within ten 
minutes ride on the railroad of the centre 
of the city and it is the purpose of the 
Street Railway Company to extend its 
electric line to that village. In addition 
to Stonybrook, there is another stream, 
Day's brook, which guarantees a constant 
supply of water, and which at one time 
furnished the motive power for Swain's 
Turbine works. Since the discontinuance 
of those works the water runs unused to 
the river. 

There are many acres of desirable land 
available for manufacturing purposes along 
the lines of the Lowell and Nashua and 
Stonybrook railroads, along the banks of 
the river and the brooks, and on the shores 
of Leach's pond, a considerable body of 
water which is used to augment the 
pcwer furnished by the Stonybrook. 

The taxes of the town are $8.50 on 
$1000, and the advantages are almost 
identical to those enjoyed by the adfoinino 
city. " ■ " 

The industries are, George C. Moore's 
extensive wool scouring and worsted yarn 
mills. He employs 350 hands and turns 
over 4,000,000 pounds of wool a year. 

The Chelmsford Foundry Company, 
with oflice at 131 Portland street, Boston, 
was established in 1823. The president 
and treasurer is G. T. Sheldon, E. D. 
Bearce is the present superintendent. The 
Company manufactures 4500 tons of iron 
per annum into columns "and beams and 
employs 150 men. 

The Silver and Gay Machine Works 
give employment to 50 men and manu- 
facture all kinds of machineiy. 



There are several granite cutters and 
carriage builders in the neighborhood. 

There are two churches in the village, 
and the school accommodations are ample. 

There are two small manufacturing con- 
cerns in Chelmsford Centre, which employ 
30 or 40 hands and a box factory and saw 
mill in Tyngsboro employs about 30. 



TEWKSnURY. 

The little village of Phoenix lies close 
to the Lowell line in the town of Tewks- 
buiy. Its sole industry is the Atherton 
Machine Company, which manufactures 
cotton openers, spinning frames, lappers 
and other machinery. It employs 235 
men. 

At Wamesit, two miles from the city 
in Tewksbury, are the chemical works of 
of Taylor & Barker. They manufacture 
chemicals for dying and printing and em- 
ploy iS hands. 



W'ESTFORD. 

On the Stonybrook, at Brookside, is the 
worsted mill of George C. Moore, employ- 
nig 125 hands and turning out 600,000 
pounds of yarn a year. 

At Graniteville are the Abbot worsted 
mills, owned by John W. Abbot, Allan 
Cameron and Abiel J. Abbot. The firm 
also owns a mill in' Forge Village. It 
manufactures carpet yarns and employs 
400 hands. The volume of business 'is 
$2,000,000 a year. 

in Graniteville also are the machine 
works of Charles G. Sargent's Sons, where 
70 men are employed in making wool- 
washers, dryers, etc. 



POST OFFICE. 



IIIE BUSY SER\'1CE PERFOK 

The first account we have of an effort 
being made to facilitate correspondence 
with the outside world by means of an es- 
tablished postal system, was as far back as 
1S24, two years after the incor])oration of 
the Merrimack Manufacturing Company 
when the village numbered a thousand in- 
habitants. It was then called East Chelms- 
ford. Jonathan C. Morrill was the first 
postmaster. Two years later the town of 



MED BV THE GOVERNMENT. 

Lowell came into existence and Mr. Mor- 
rill's new commission as postmaster of the 
town was signed April 29, 1S36, by Presi- 
dent Adams. 

Willis P. Burbank, a young business 
man, is the present incumbent. He is an 
efficient, able, trustworthy official, with a 
keen appreciation of the" needs of com- 
mercial and mercantile Lowell in the line 
of good mail service. That the office has 



41 



giown in significance is sliown in one wav 
by the increase of salary paid tlie post- 
master in 1S24, it was $73 ; in 1S91, it is 
$3300. 

The increase in aniDunt of business for 
each year is not available, but the figures 
during three administrations, those of 
1S53, iSSy-'S, and 1S90, give a compre- 
hensive and satisfying idea of the increase 
in, and present size of, the volume of mail 
business. 

In 1S53, 881,404 letters, drop letters and 
papers were received or sent through the 
office. The gross receipts were $16,- 
438.39 ; expenses, $4675.71 ; leaving a net 
income of $11,762.68. 



The business of the office for the year 
ending July i, 18S8, under Postmaster 
Haggett, was as follows : Sale of stamps, 
envelopes, etc., $82,428.87 ; rent of boxes, 
$2,890.50 ; expenses, $34,884.06, a net in- 
come of $50,463.32 to the postofHce de- 
partment. The business had quadrupled 
its profits in thirt_y-six years. While this 
increase in the postal business is cjuite 
large, in comparison it is merely or- 
dinary with the growth of the next two 
years. This is perhaps best illustrated by 
the financial and statistical report of Post- 
master \V. P. Burbank, for the fiscal year 
ending March 31, 1891. The number of 
pieces of mail delivered by carriers was 




OXE OF LOWELL S OLDEST BLOCKS. 



4,688,016, or a daily average of 12,848, 
and this includes onlv one half of the re- 
ceipts, no account being kept of the box 
or general delivery. A schedule of the 
mail receipts is as follows : 



.MAIL DELIVERED. 

Registered letters . - - 

Letters . - - - - 

Postals - - . - . 

Other mail - - . - 

MAIL COLLECTED. 



5.373 

2,05 1 ,493 

490,004 

2,141,146 



Letters 1,686,161 

Postals 277,957 

Other Mail . . . . 116,743 

The business of the monev order de- 



partment amounted to $153,326.89 ; and 
there were 30,697 registered packages and 
letters handled. 

Other statistics are these : Stamps, 
postal cards and envelopes sold, $108,- 
171.22; box rents, $3038.50; total re- 
ceipts, $111,209.72. Expenditures, em- 
ployees salaries in postoffice, $13,956.25 ; 
rent, $3000 ; light, $400 ; compensation to 
delivery messengers, $570.72 ; salaries, 
letter carriers, $21,517.63; miscellaneous 
expenses, $243.37 • incidental expenses, 
free delivery, $690.20; total, $40,378.17. 
Deposited with sub-treasurer at Boston, 
being amount of profit on business, $65,- 



42 



6Si.S8; railway P. O. checks paid, 
$4149.61; total, $111,209.72. 

The increase of business brought the 
office into the first class, numbering 133 
offices in the country. 

The local service is in the hands of 25 
regular letter carriers, four substitute car- 
riers and 17 office clerks. The force is 
hardly adequate for the business done. To 
make especially efficient the collecting ser- 
vice a mail wagon for the exclusive pur- 
pose of collecting mail is kept. The 
number of street letter boxes is 155, 
judiciously distributed. Of this number 
=50 are on a special circuit with four col- 
lections a day, the collections so timed to 
connect with all the principal out-going 
mails. 

The figures of the above enormous busi- 
ness naturally suggest a good railroad mail 
service in connection with the efficiency of 



the local department, and so it is. Lowell 
is well located as regards railroad lines, 
being in direct comnuuiication widi Bos- 
ton, the North, East and West. There 
are nine mails to Boston which have direct 
connection with the New York City, 
Albany and the western through mails, 
one leaving as early as 5.10 a. m. A 
morning and afternoon mail with closed 
pouch connects with the trans-continen- 
tal express which leaves Vanceborough, 
Me., and is scheduled through to Tampa, 
Fla., Los Angeles and San Francisco, 
Cal., also other mails connecting with 
limited expresses for the South and .South- 
west. There aie six mails daily for Port- 
land and points East. 

Lowell's postal service is very good and 
■when the new postoffice is erected, the 
business will ha\e ample room to expand. 



MUNICIPAL. 



THE CITY GOVERNMENT, ITS PE 

The City Council appropriated for the 
running expenses of the government this 
year, $918,200.00. The following amounts 
are important as showing the liberal 
manner in which provision is made for the 
several departments : 

Schools .... jSi 60,000.00 

School houses - - - 25,000.00 
Roads and bridges - - 75,000.00 

Police 70,000.00 

Fire department - - - 80,000.00 
Sewers and drains - - 20,000.00 

I'arks 8,000.00 

Lighting ... - 55,000.00 
Library .... 12,000.00 

Health .... 25,000.00 

In addition to these appropriations loans 
have been sanctioned for the construction 
of a new High School building. 

The City Council consists of a mayor, a 
board of seven aldermen, elected at large, 
a common council of 24 members, elected 
by wards, four for each of the six wards 
in the city. 

The following is the City Council for 
1S91: 

MAYOK, 

GEORGE W. FIFIELD. 

ALDERMEN, 
Jeremiah Crowley Chairman. 
Richard B. Allen, Thomas J. Enwrighl, 

James W. Cassidy, George IL Frye, 

Jeremiah Crowley, Stephen B. Puffer. 

Watson A. Dickinson, George F. Tilton. 



RSONNEL AND EXPENDITURES. 
COMMON COUNCIL, 
Thomas J. Sparks — President. 

WARD ONE. WARD FOUR. 

Patrick IL Barry, Edsvin L. Giles, 



Fred Home, 
Wallace E. Parkin, 
Eugene C. Wallace. 

WARD FIVE. 
Herbert M. Jacobs. 
George D. Kimball, 
James A. .Speirs, 
Louis P. Turcotte. 

WARD SIX. 
James A. Cawley, 
James J. Dolan, 
Daniel" L). DriscoU, 
James Gookin. 



James F. Doherty, 
Peter F. Garrity, 
John J. Sullivan. 

WARD TWO. 

Newell Abare, 
Adolph Benard, 
Walter C. Coburn, 
George H. Marston. 

WARD THREE. 
Patrick J. Baxter, 
John J. Gilbride, 
Charles L. Marren, 
Thomas J. Sparks. 

The government of the city is operated 
through several departments which are 
under the direct control of the Board of 
Aldermen and the City Council. They 
are : 

The Department of Police, Charles 
Howard, chief. 

The Department of Fire, Edward S. 
Hosmer, chief. 

The Department of Streets and Sewers, 
Horace P. Beals, superintendent. 

The Department of Public Buildings, 
Patrick Bray, superintendent. 

The Department of Engineering, George 
Bowers, chief engineer. 



44 



City cleik, Michael J. Dowd. 

City treasurer, Austin K. Chadwick. 

City auditor, Da\id Chase. 

City messenger, Henry Hoole. 

The schools of the city are under the 
control of a School Board elected by 
wards. 

The School Board of 1S91 is as fol- 
lows : 

CHAIRMAN, 

GEORGE W. FIFIELD. 

VICE CHAIRMAN, 

WALTER COBURK. 

The Mayor and President of the Common Couiii-il 
Ex-officiis. 



Laurence Cummings, 
Greenleaf C. Brock, 
George M. Harrigan, 
Fred Woodies, 
Walter Coburn, 
Leonard Huntress, 



Patrick Keyes, Jr., 
William H. Lathrop, 
John W. McEvoy, 
Ransom A. Cireene, 
Andrew (i. Swapp, 
Almon W. 1 1 ill. 



Superintendent — Arthur K, Whitcumli. 
Supervisor of evening schools — John A. .Smith. 



The department of health is luuler the 
Board of Health. 

Charles R. Costello, chairman ; Dr. 
James B. Fields, secretary; Dr. William 
F. Lawler, city physician ; F. A. Bates, 
superintendent; H. H. Knapp, clerk. 

The department of the poor is under 
the jiuisdiction of a Board of Overseers 
of the Poor. The Mayor, ex-officio ; 
Charles F. Varnum, Alfred Leblanc, W. 
H. I. Hayes, Freeman W. Pufler, E. \V. 
Lovejoy, Jas. S. Hanson. Clerk, Jaines 
F.Walsh; Secretary, Charles H. Richard- 
son; Superintendent of Poor Farm, Al- 
bert Finder; Superintendent of Reform 
School, William A. Lang. 

The taxes are assessed by a board of 
three assessors suppleinented by si.x assis- 
tant assessors. The principal assessors 
are Abel Wheeler, chairman ; J-'imes Scott 
and Nathan D. Pratt. Clerk,"' Stephen J. 
Kirijy. 



SCHOOLS. 



LOWELL S LIBERAL 



PROVISION FOR THE EDUCATION 
SCHOOLS, $196,587. 



OF HER CIIILDREX — FOR 



There was expended for instruction, 
supplies, etc., in the Lowell public schools 
in 1S90, $196, 5S7.4S. Of this sum, $141,- 
090. 7S was paid for instruction in the day 
schools. The expense of the evening ele- 
mentary and high schools, was $16,698.2^, 
and the total expense of the evening draw- 
ing school was $4,899,45. 

The expense of the schoolhouse depart- 
ment was $83,003.93. There wasexpended 
$16,079 f°'' 'h^ Cabot street school build- 
ing, $16,715.43 forthe Cross street school- 
house and $14,487.68 for the Highland 
school annex. 

More than eleven thousand children at- 
tended the public schools of Lowell last 
year. 

The history of the Lowell public schools 
properly begins when, in 1S26, the first 
school committee of the town established 
ten new school districts in addition to the 
Chelmsford school districts in existence 
before the incorporation of the ne'w town. 

The first school committee consisted of 
Rev. Theodore Edson, who justly deserves 
the title of " father and founder of the 
school system of Lowell " ; Warren Col- 
burn, superintendent of the Merrimack 
Mills ; Samuel Batchelder, a many-sided 



man of high literary cidture, a devotee of 
science, and, above all, of the highest in- 
ventive genius ; Dr. John O. Green, who 
by his constant visits to the schools showed 
his devoted interest to the cause of educa- 
tion, and Dr. Elisha Huntington, a graduate 
of Dartmouth College, a man of liigh social 
and literary culture. 

The town of Lowell continued the dis- 
trict system of schools from its incorpora- 
tion, in 1S26, to 1833, when the graded 
system now in vogue was adopted. Li that 
year the school board voted to establish 
two large graded schools after the manner 
of tiie graded schools of Boston and New- 
buryport. To accomplish tliis object re- 
(|uired the erection of two large school- 
houses at an expense of $20,000. 

In the town meeting held to consider 
that most important subject. Rev. Dr. 
Edson, single-handed, advocated the ex- 
penditure and won by eleven majority. A 
second town meeting was called to rescind 
the vote if possible, and Lawrence & 
Robinson, eminent attorneys, appeared for 
the opposition. The independent vote had 
time to do something between the two 
meetings and the majority in favor of 
the change was increased to 38. The 



45 



buildings now known as tjie Edson and 
Bai'tlett schools were then erected. 

February 23, 1S33, 'he pupils first oc- 
cupieil the building now known as the 
Edson school-house. It was first known 
as the South Grammar school, then as the 
First Grammar school und finally as the 
Edson school. The latter name is most 
appropriate, as the school is one o( the 
two graded schools for which Rev. Dr. 
Edson so persistently fought. 

Joshua Merrill, who began to teach 
Nov. 5, 1S37, was the first teacher in the 
Edson school, and the principals subse- 
quently were Perley Balch, Ira Waldron 
and Calvin W. Burbank. 

The Bartlett school received its name 
from Dr. Elisha Bartlett, the first mayor 
of Lowell. Its present principal is Samuel 
Bement. 

The Green school was first opened in a 
brick building in Middle street, and when 
larger accommodations were needed in 
1871 the present elegant building in Merri- 
mack street was erected at a cost of $106,- 
000. The school is named in honor of 
Dr. John O. Green, one of the members 
of the first school committee. A. L. 
Bacheller has been principal since iSSo. 

The Moody grammar school, established 
in 1S41, was named in honor of Paul 
Moody, one of the pioneers in the great 
manufacturing industries. On a petition 
signed by Gen. Butler and other citizens, 
the school committee recommended nearly 
ten years ago the erection of a more 
modern building for school purposes in a 
more central location of Belvidere. The 
city council of this year took up the mat- 
ter and are to erect a handsome school 
building on Rogers and High streets. 

William S. Greene is the present prin- 
cipal of the Moody school. 

The Colburn school-house was erected 
in 1S4S, and at the dedication Dec. 13th 
of that year. Rev. Dr. Edson delivered an 
address of great historical value. George 
W. Howe was appointed principal in 
iSSo. 

The Varnum school-house is erected 
near the site of the " Dracut Academy," 
and was named in honor of Major-Gen. 
Josepii B. Varnum. The school was 
opened in 1S51 in the upper room of the 
old academy building and the present 
edifice was first occupied in 1S57. D. P. 
Galloupe was principal of this school for 
35 years and he was succeeded bv Arthur 
K. Whitcomb, the present superintendent. 



The Franklin school-house was erected 
in 1S40, and was used for grammar-school 
purposes until Jan. i, 1SS3, when the 
Highland school-house was erected. Peo- 
ple who did not have confidence enough 
in the future growth of Lowell looked upon 
he building as unnecessary. It was only a 
few years when it was again found neces- 
sary to use a portion of the Franklin school 
building. for grammar school pupils. Sub- 
sequently a four-room addition was made 
to the Highland sch<iol Iniikling to accom- 
modate the pupils. Charles W. Morey is 
the principal of the scliool. 

Tlie Mann school building was erected 
in 1S3S for grammar school purposes and 
continued to be used as a day school until 
September, 1884, when Oliver C. Semple 
was transferred to the principalship of the 
Pawtucketville grammar school. During 
the winter months the Mann school is 
used for the free evening drawing school. 
The school building was named in honor 
of Hon. Horace Mann, the distinguished 
secretary of the state board of education. 

The Butler school, named in honor of 
Lowell's distinguished citizen, was erected 
in 1SS3, at an expense of about $56,000. 
The first principal was George E. Conley, 
afterward superintendent of the Lowell 
schools and now a member of the Boston 
board of supervisors of instruction. His 
successor as principal was Cornelius F. 
Callahan, the present incumbent. Owing 
to the increase in population there is not 
room enough in the Butler school building. 
In addition to the eight recitation rooms 
there are two classes in the school hall and 
one grammar school room in the Weed 
street primary school-house. The school 
committee has recommended two proposi- 
tions to the city council to overcome the 
crowded condition of school buildings in 
that section. The fir?t is to erect a four- 
room addition to the Butler school-house, 
and the second is to erect a brick building 
on land owned by the cit}* in Chelmsford 
street. It is intended if the latter proposi- 
tion is accepted to have a portion of the 
building devoted to grammar school pupils 
and the remainder to primaries. 

The Pawtucket school was erected in 
1S84 at an expense of nearly $53,000. It 
is the only grammar school house in Lowell 
which bears the Indian name of its loca- 
tion. The principals have been Oliver C. 
Semple, Cyrus W. Irish, Miss Nellie Mc- 
Donald and William P. Barry. 

Brief mention only can be made of the 



46 



Washington, Adams and Hancock schools, 
which have ceased to exist. 

During the past five j-ears a number of 
new buildings, devoted to the primary 
school children, have been erected at the 
request of the school committee. They 
include the buildings in Church, Favor, 
Charles, Cross and Cabot streets. 

For years the school committee has re- 
quested that a new high school building be 
erected at or near the present location and 
the committees of the city council have the 
matter under consideration. 

Our high school was first opened in De- 
cember, 1831, under the principalship of 
Thomas M. Clarke, now Episcopal bishop 
of Rhode Island, in a small building on 
Middlesex and Elliott streets. 

C. C. Chase, who was principal of the 
school for vears, says for a long time the 
high school lived a very nomadic life. It 
was first in the lower room of what is now 
the Free Chapel in Middlesex street; next 
in the upper room in the present Edson 
school house ; next in the Concert hall, 
which was near the site of the present store 
of A. G. Pollard & Co., in Merrimack 
street ; next in the present Bartlett school 
house ; next in the attic of St. Mary's 
church in Suffolk street, and next for a 
second time in the Free chapel. In 1S40 
it was located in Kirk and Anne streets. 
Owing to the crowded condition of the 
building some of the pupils are obliged to 
attend sessions in the annex in the Worthen 
street school building. 

In the school report for 1S90 Supt. 
Lawton says the average number of pupils 
belonging to the high school was 474 and 
the amount paid for teaching in that school 
was $13,779.15. 

From 1S40 to iS67the sexes were separ- 
ated in the high school and the principals 
of the female department weie Luc}' E. 
Penhallow, Susan E. Burdick and Annie 
B. Sawyer. 

In referring to this school it is a pleasure 
to every citizen to mention the long and 
faithful services of C. C. Chase and James 
S. Russell, who are still residents of 
Lowell. 

The present principal is Frank F. Co- 
biun, who succeeded Mr. Chase in 1SS3. 



Missionary association. It was decided in 
1 85 5 to bring the schools under the super- 
vision of the school committee. After 
John A. Smith was elected a member of 
the school cojnmittee in iSSohe gave even- 
ing schools his special attention. When 
the day school rooms were freely opened 
for evening school pupds the attendance 
rapidly increased. In 1S85 Mr. Smith 
was elected supervisor of evening schools. 
During the session which closed March 
1st of this year, the Higii, Green, Bart- 
lett, Moody, Colburn, Butler, Franklin, 
Varnum and the new school building in 
Aiken avenue were opened for the attend- 
ance of evening scliool pupils. 



FREE EVENING DHAWING SCHOOLS. 

Three evening classes in drawing were 
formed in 1S72, one in free hand, one in 
architectiu'al and one in machine drawing. 
The sessions were held for some time in 
the Green school hall, afterward in the 
Worthen street school house. This free 
institution has continued with gratifying 
success and with increasing favor. 



EVENING SCHOOLS. 



Previous to 1855 free evening schools 
were maintained in Lowell by the Lowell 



PnnATE SCHOOLS. 

There are eleven private schools in 
Lowell. These include the parochial 
schools which have been established under 
the auspices of four of the Catholic 
churches. 

There are three schools connected with 
St. Patrick'schurch. The female academ}', 
which was established in 1852; second, 
the parochial school for girls. Both 
schools are under the direction of the 
Sisters of Notre Dame. 

St. Patrick's school for boys is under 
charge of the Xaverian Brothers. 

The parochial school of the Immaculate 
Conception church was opened in iSSi 
and is under the instruction of the Grey 
Nuns of Ottawa. The school is for both 
sexes. 

St. Joseph's parochial school in Mood\' 
street is designed for the children of French 
Catliolics. The pupils are under the in- 
struction of the Grey Nuns of Ottawa. 
Recently, Rev. Andrew Garin of the Oblate 
Order purchased land and buildings in 
Merrimack street, nearly opposite the 
church of St. Jean de Baptiste. It is in- 
tended to have a parochial school for boys, 
which will be placed in charge of an order 




TALBOT BUILDING, MIDDLE STREET. 



48 



yet to be selected by the pastor with the 
consent of the archbishop. 

St. Michael's parochial school in Sixth 
street in Centralville is in charge of the 
Dominican Sisters. The pupils are all 
girls. As in the other parochial schools 
it is under the supervision of the pastor. 

The number ot pupils attending private 
schools in Lowell is estimated to be over 
4000. 

TRAINING SCHOOL. 

A training school has recently been 
established by the school committee for 
the instruction of candidates for positions 
as teachers. The principal and her assist- 
ants are to report to the committee on 
teachers and training school as to the apt- 
ness and ability of the candidates. Pupil- 
teachers who fail to receive the required 
rank can be re-admitted for another trial 
by a majority vote of the committee on 
teachers and training school. Since the 
establishment of this school all teachers 
assigned positions have been graduates of 
the training school. 



SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS. 

In 1 8^9 George W. Shattuck was elected 
superintendent of schools, but tlie citizens, 
at tiie following municipal election, de- 
cided that they did not want any superin- 
tendent. 

In February, 1S64, the subject was again 



discussed, and Abner J. Phipps of New 
Bedford consented to accept the position 
when the late Hon. Hocum Hosford, then 
mayor, a^^reed to pay the salary if the city 
council declined to do so. He served until 
the close of 1S66, when he tendered his 
resignation. His successors have been 
Charles Morrill, who died in 1SS4, George 
E. Conley,who was afterwards elected one 
of the supervisors of the Boston public 
schools, George F. Lawton, formerly prin- 
cipal of the Green school and Arthur K. 
Whitcomb, the present incumbent. 

CARXEV MEDALS. 

At the graduation exercises of the high 
school each year six silver medals are pre- 
sented to the scholars in the school, three 
for boys and three for girls. These medals 
are the result of the gift of James G. 
Carney, first treasurer of the Lowell Insti- 
tution for Savings. The distribution be- 
gan in 1S59, and at the head of the list is 
the name of Frederick T. Greenhalge, 
whose term as representative in Congress 
from this district expired March 4th of 
this year. 

SCHOOL COMMITTEE. 

The school committee includes the 
mayor and president of the common council 
and two members chosen for terms of two 
vears each for the six wards of the citv. 



THE CITY S CONCERN 



FIRE DEPARTMENT. 

FOR TIIE SAFETY OF PUBLIC AND 
—FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT $99,928. 



PRIVATE PROPERTY 



Lowell luck, as touching its continued 
immimity from extensive loss by fire, is 
proverbial throughout the state. It is 
not, however, upon that good fortune alone 
that Lowell depends for its excellent repu- 
tation as touching the safetv of its property 
from extensive fires. 

To begin with, the citv of Lowell pos- 
sesses many natural advantages whose 
presence in the long run cannot but make 
themselves felt in the small total loss which 
is sutVered annually. With but trifling ex- 
ceptions, and with all those exceptions oc- 
curring in the safest districts in the city 
from a fireman's point of view, Lowell 
has been built upon level ground, a fact 
that means the gain of valuable minutes in 



the prompt response of its fire department 
to an alarm in any part of the city. 

In addition to this advantage, the city 
has, when all its elements are taken into 
consideration, a water service that will 
compare only to its own advantage with 
that of anv citv in New England. \Vhat 
with its abundant and never failing city 
service and the almost innumerable canals 
in the distiict upon which the citv stands, 
the city presents at every point of its wide 
extent a supply of water for fire-fighting 
that is not only inexhaustible but readily 
available at any point. This abundance 
of water and the ease with which it can 
be handled, has enabled every corporation 
and manufacturing industry to introduce 



49 



and maintain at its own expense its own 
private fire service. 

In view of these advantages, the city of 
Lowell is enabled to guarantee excellent 
protection from fire to her industries and 
her residents with what, regarded simply 
in a numerical sense, will pass as a small 
fire department. That the size of a fire de- 
partment is, however, of secontlary im- 
portance as compared with its system and 
activitv, is plainly evident in the table of 
losses which Lowell has to present. 

The active fire department of Lowell is 
made up of four steam fire engines, inckul- 
ing a new and large machine which has 
been recently added. 

Around the Central Fire Station in 
which this machine stands at the very 
heart of the citv, the other machines have 
been stationed so as to be as nearly equi- 
distant in their directions, as possible. In 
the handling of its heavier apparatus, the 
department has recently introduced the 
three-iiorse hitch with excellent results in 
the matter of running time. 

In addition to the steam fire engines and 
their full equipments, the department com- 
prises fi\e hose companies whose houses 
are so disposed to form a larger circle out- 
side that in which the steam engines are 
located. The most recent improvement in 
this part of the fire sei'vice has been the 
disbanding of the old hand-line companies 
and the replacing of them by house com- 
panies with all the latest equipments. 

The department also has three hook and 
ladder companies, whose equipment in- 
cludes a heavy Babcock truck and exten- 
sion ladder; two chemical engines and a 
protective wagon which responds to all 
alarms and is provided with a full equip- 
ment of extinguishers, folding ladders, 
covers, a Spencer canvas chute and a 
Dixon arrow gun. The work of this com- 
pany since its introduction into the depart- 
ment has been remarkable for its eflective 
promptness in response to alarms, and for 
the extent to which its eflbrts have pre- 
vented damage by water in smrll or badly 
located fires. 

The steamers of the department are 
manned by companies of twelve, five of 
whom are permanent firemen. The hose 
companies are composed of nine men 



each, three of whom are permanent. The 
hook and ladder companies have three, 
five and eight permanent men, respectively, 
with full companies of ten, twelve and 
thirteen members. The protective com- 
pany is made up of five permanent men. 
The apparatus of the department is well 
housed, being, with the single exception 
of the hose carriage house in Ayer City, 
provided with substantial brick buildings 
for the most part new, and in all cases 
fitted with the latest improvements for the 
work of the department. The Central 
Fire Station erected at a cost of nearly 
$6i;,ooo is justly regarded as a model of 
its kind, in the possession of which the 
city may well take a pardonable pride. 

The fire alarm telegraph service con- 
sists of eighty signal boxes with their 
ninety miles or more of wires, all of which 
is under the care of an electrician as the 
head of this sub-department. The Game- 
well signal service, which has also been 
recently introduced in the police depart- 
ment, is capable of employment in the fire 
alarm service. 

Tlie record of losses by fire which Low- 
ell has sustained during the last twenty 
years is indeed an excellent one, and one 
which signifies vastly more than a mere 
continuance of good fortune. 

The cost of this department for the year 
1S90, was but a few dollars in excess of 
that of the police department, being $99,- 

The head of this department is Chief 
Edward S. Hosmer, a fireman who has 
learned his trade not from books or stories 
of other men's work, but from an ex- 
perience of thirty-two years of service in 
the department of which he is now the 
head. Mr. Hosmer was born in Lowell, 
in 1S3S, and first joined the department in 
May, 1S56. From that time until the 
present, with the exception of a period of 
three years, he has been in continuous 
service in the department. He was made 
assistant engineer in 1S73, and was first 
appointed chief of the department in 1SS5, 
holding that position for two terms of one 
year each. Mr. Hosmer was again :\]i- 
pointed chief of the department in iSSS, 
the term of ofiice having been ciianged 
from one to three vears. 



50 



POLICE. 

A WELL EQIIPPED AND THOROUGHLY ORGANIZED DEPARTiMEXT— FOR POLICE $99,839. 

The organization of the poh'ce depart- 
ment upon its present basis came neces- 
sarily and naturally with the incorporation 
of Lowell as a city, in May, 1S36. The 
city employs a large and well-disciplined 
force which performs its work with the aid 
of more tlian a fair share of the equip- 
ments and conveniences of modern sug- 
gestion. The headquarters of the police 
department, tcjgether with its court, a city 
dispensary and the offices of one or two 
minor city officials are located in the Mar- 
ket Building on ALarket street, one hun- 
dred yards from Central at the very heart 
of the city. A part of this building was 
formerly used as an armory and the rooms 
vacated by the military companies have 
been utilized to provide recreative and 
sleeping accommodations for the members 
of the force. 

In its present fonn the police depart- 
ment is made up of a chief and two 
deputies, four inspectors, three sergeants, 
three warrant and court officers, two keep- 
ers, fifteen day patrolmen and forty-four 
night patrolmen. In addition to these are 
one officer detailed for special duty, two 
drivers, five supernumerary officers and a 
police matron ; eighty-three persons in all. 
The department is conducted in accord- 
ance with the regulations of the civil ser- 
vice, and the force is made up in a large 
degree of young and active officers reduced 
to a fine state of discipline and efficiencv 
under the guidance of the higher police 
officials who have made police work a life- 
long study. 

As a general characteristic the adminis- 
tration of the police department of Lowell 
is energetic and at the same time governed 
by a wholesome conservatism that rarelv 
allows and never countenances any course 
of action which places the department in 
a false light. 

Among its other good qualities the de- 
partment is possessed of a remarkablv 
successful detective^force, the services of 
which is of such a nature as to inspire a 



wholesome fear in the minds of such evil- 
doers as mav come ■within its jurisdiction. 

During the last police year, ending Nov. 
30, 1S90, the efficiency of the department 
has been greatly increased by the introduc- 
tion of the Gamevvell Police Telephone 
and Signal Svstem, consisting in its present 
extent, of fiftv-three street signal boxes 
and a four circuit central office plant. In 
addition to this svstem the department has 
been provided with a stable adjoining the 
station where the horses of the patrol 
wagon are kept. The signal system has 
already proved of great senice to the de- 
partment, and with the extension of which 
it is capable, it will serve to put ofl' the 
time when an extension of the district to 
be patrolled and a growth of the popula- 
tion will necessitate the division of the citv 
into districts each with its separate station 
house. 

The police department, as shown by its 
record for the past vear, has ne\er been at 
a higher point of discipline and efficiency 
than at present. This department cost the 
citv in the year from December i, '89, to 
November 30, '90, the sum of $99,839.32. 

Chief of Police Charles Howard, ap- 
pointed to his first term in that capacity 
on Jan. 6th of the current year, is prob- 
ably one of the most widely known police 
officials in the state. Mr. Howard was 
born in Lowell in 1S42 and entered the 
service of the department in 1871. He 
was appointed sergeant in iS8r and pro- 
moted to the rank of captain Jan. 9, 1882. 
In this capacity he served until March, 
1S90, when he was appointed deputy 
chief. 

Chief Howard has ever shown himself 
an energetic and conscientious officer in 
the discharge of the duties of the various 
positions in the service which he has been 
called upon to fill, and his appointment to 
the highest office of the department which 
he has so long and so faithfidlv served is 
regarded with complete satisfaction by 
both political parties. 




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a 

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r. 



52 



WATER WORKS. 

THE MOST COMPLETE SYSTEM IN NEW EXGLAND. 



The public water service of Lowell is 
one of the most important of the munici- 
pal institutions. Up to the time of the in- 
troduction of the present system of water 
supply for the city, it had depended upon 
a supply furnished from the Locks and 
Canals Company-, and from other private 
sources. 

The life of the present sj'Stem dates 
from an act of the legislature of the year 
1S55. Under this act and an additional 
act of the year iS6fi, giving additional 
power together with the minor acts of later 
date, the present system of water works 
was constructed. The board of water 
commissioners was elected and organized 
January 2S, 1S70, and the construction of 
the water works occupied about three 
years under the supervision of this board. 
The plan which was finally adopted as 
the best, when all things were taken into 
consideration, consisted of a supply from 
the Merrimack River. 

From the intake situated 1500 feet above 
the Pawtucket dam, the water is conducted 
to the terminal chamber and thence to the 
pumping station, which is located on land 
in Centralville. 

The pumping plant comprises at pres- 
ent two powerful engines, one of which 
has not only an interesting history, but a 
proud record in actual service, as well. 

In 1S72, Henry J. Morris of Philadel- 
phia built an engine for the Spring Garden 
water works of that city, which attracted 
the attention of the Lowell engineers on 
account of the results obtained from a 
small expenditure of coal. This engine 
was guaranteed to raise 75,000,000 lbs. of 
water one foot on 100 lbs. of coal, but in 
the tests made far exceeded that strength. 
The guaranteed cajjacitv of such an engine 
was five millions of gallons per day while 
the daily average consumption of Lowell 
at that time was only about t;oo,ooo 
gallons. 

Opinions diflered as to the advisability 
of ordering so powerful a machine : but 
in the end the wiser opinion of the 
engineers prevailed and an order was 
given for the construction of a similar 
engine. The original Morris~cngine was 
the first high ""duty engine of any im- 



portance that had been constructed in this 
country; but the Lowell machine was 
made its undoubted superior by important 
changes in its valve gear at the suggestion 
of one of the Lowell engineers. 

Mr. Morris built the engine at a cost of 
$75,000 to the city of Lowell, and lost 
$20,000 by the operation. Shortly after 
its completion, in the year 1S73, the Mor- 
ris works were burned and tlie patterns 
were destroyed. The Spring Garden en- 
gine after which the Lowell engine was 
built, has long ago been broken up, leaving 
the Lowell engine the only one of its kind 
in existence. 

As totally unlike this engine as it is pos- 
sible, and still be a pumping engine, is the 
Worthington engine which stands by its 
side. The Worthington is a horizontal 
engine of the same guaranteed capacity as 
its big neighbor, and was set up as a re- 
lief engine in 1S77. Its cost was only 
$36,000. 

The increase in the amount of water 
consumed each day since the Morris en- 
gine was built has been enormous. In 
1S73, the daily average consumption was 
51 1,474 gallons ; in 1S76, when the Worth- 
ington was introduced it had risen to 
1,488,950 gallons; while at the present 
time it exceeds five and one quarter mil- 
lions of gallons. Nine millions of gallons 
have been drawn from the reservoir in a 
single period of twenty-four hours. 

In accordance with a warning derived 
from two instances, in which both engines 
have been temporanl}- incapacitated for 
duty and in obedience to a continually in- 
creasing demand upon the water supply, 
the city has recently awarded contracts 
for a second Woi-thington engine of 12,- 
000,000 gallons capacity, the setting up of 
which will necessitate an extensive en- 
largement of the pumping station. 

The water works comprises two enor- 
mous reservoirs located in the highlands 
of Centralville. The reservoir first built 
and which has proven itself of sufficient 
capacity and elevation to supply the whole 
city, except certain portions of Central- 
ville and Belvidcre, is situated on the east 
side of Beacon street, at the head of Sixth. 
The resenoir basin is in itself five hun- 



53 



dred and twenty feet long, five hundred 
and ten feet wide and twenty-four feet 
deep at high water mark, wliich is four 
feet below the top of the embankment. 
This reservoir contains, at high water 
mark, 30,000,000 gallons, or enough to 
supply the city for a week at its present 
rate of consumption. The reservoir has 
a large relative elevation to the main level 
of the city and an absolute elevation of 
1S1.5 feet. 

In addition to this source of the city's 
supply, a second, or high service reservoir, 
was constructed in iSSi on the hill above 
the general reservoir. The capacity of 
the high service reservoir is 1,500,000 gal- 
lons and its elevation 353.5 feet. 

From the latest figures available, the 
city water works earn in round numbers 
$200,000 per year. Its mains extend to a 
total length of about 93 miles, and its 
number of services is nearly 10,000. It 
maintains S50 iiydrants in the lire service 
and has an annual pay roll of $33,000. It 
has always been the policy of the board 
by which the water works are controlled, 
to extend its mains readily in obedience to 
the demands made upon the service. The 
gross cost of the water works to Jan. i, 
1S91, were $4,841,227.37, and the receipts 
to the same date $2,453,398.47, leaving 
the net cost of works at that date, $2,387,- 
828.80. 

The following table will show, exclusive 
of interest on the debt, the general success 
of the water works supply trom a business 



point of view for the past eighteen years : 









Expenditures 


Iteceipts ill 




Exi)enditurvs. 


Kcceipt.*. 


ill e.\ci 


■s.-^of 


excels ot 








retell 


|,ts. 


expeuUiturcji. 


lt.73 


$188,376.59 


$ 57,739.48 


$130,637 


Ml 




1S74 


]2S,I05.U3 


80,t>Jn,U.-| 


47,479 


.98 




1875 


17U,U!J5.78 


94,9' .B.14 


75,187 


.64 




1S7B 


115,01'^.24 


98,81.')-54 


16,196 


70 




1877 


63,il8S.7-.' 


ini:i,82ii.i;3 






$ 46,837.91 


1878 


4il,9UU.15 


104,14-2 87 






,54,242 72 


1S79 


42,I.57.S'2 


Il0,l8r>..i4 






68,li27..52 


188 1 


45,()3I.59 


12.j,74l) 49 






78,708 90 


ItSl 


]-Jl,i;OI.27 


128,0,3.97 






6,452.70 


1882 


B4,5i5 M 


140,397 91) 






75,872.04 


188:i 


(>5,ti73.-i3 


152,582.99 






86,909.76 


1884 


U4,9l>-i.71 


154,437.55 






89,454.84 


1885 


B4,(I3U.'.>4 


157.9.iU 79 






93,1)26.55 


188« 


51, 8()8.W 


168,7.57.53 






116,949.01 


1887 


U2,23G.II5 


178,234,29 






115,998.24 


lt88 


75,-.'34.73 


183,127.37 






107,892.64 


18811 


80,.554.(i8 


189,247 6(; 






108,692.98 


IfOO 


78,073. 4fi 


103.963.80 






115,890.34 



The bonded debt of the water works 
was in a large part refunded at a low rate 
of interest on the maturity of its first bonds 
in November, 1890. The refunding will 
reduce materially the annual expenditures 
on account of the works. 

The water works are controlled, in ac- 
cordance with an amended ordinance of 
iSSS, by a water board of five members, 
to be elected each year, by concurrent 
vote of the City Council, one from the 
Board of Aldermen and four others, who 
shall be citizens holding no other municipal 
office, one being chosen each 3-ear for a 
term of four years. 

The water rate per family — and that in- 
cludes water closet, bath, hose and water 
for horse and cow — is $23 a year, an ex- 
ceptionally low figure. 



AX INSTITUTION WHICH 



THE CITY LIBRARY. 

ENLIGHTENS THE PUBLIC AT THE PUBLIC EXPENSE- 
FOR THE LIBRARY $14,500. 



What is now known and appreciated as 
the City Library of Lowell, had its begin- 
ning in the City School Library which 
came into existence under an ordinance 
of the City Council, passed May 30, 1844. 

The City Lilirary of Lowell is one of 
the few institutions of its kind which owes 
its origin solely to municipal action. 

Established at first in pursuance of cer- 
tain resolves of the state legislature, 
authorizing cities and towns to establish 
and maintain school libraries, this institu- 
tion has, from the opening of its doors on 
February ii, 1S45, occupied a much wider 
field of usefulness than that which was 



comprehended in the idea which led to its 
foundation. In the year 1S60, this feature 
of its existence bad become so widely 
recognized that an ordinance was passed 
changing the name to that of City 
Library, which, in the process of in- 
corporation, became changed to the pres- 
ent legal title of the institution, City 
Librarv of Lowell. 

After one previous attempt in 1S7S, a 
nominal annual fee of fifty cents for the 
privileges of the library was abolished in 
1883, and it thus became an absolutely 
free institution. In the same year the 
library established its first free reading 



54 



room which was followed fi\e 3 ears later 
by the establishment of a sjaecial free read- 
ing room for women. Both of these ad- 
juncts to the work of the library have 
been uniformly successful in aflbrding the 
best of facilities to the large nimibers of 
both sexes who have availed themselves of 
the privileges thus placed \\ithin their 
reach. 



With the accession of Mavor Palmer in 
18S8, came the final act which made the 
City Library thoroughly an institution of 
the people and removed from it the last 
trace of the influence of political manage- 
ment and interference. An act of the 
legislature passed in that year incorporated 
a board of trustees for the librarv, com- 
posed of the Mayor, ex-officio, and five 







iTIVast ■ 



eA\c/v\()[\I^L BuiLDINt^. 

To k^ujtd ti3 J. 

PUBlilcLlB[\/\t\Y. 



other citizens by him appointed with the 
approval of the Board of Aldermen. To 
these trustees, each holding office for five 
vears. one retiring annuallv, was com- 
mitted the entire management of the afiliirs 
of the library. 

In proportion to the development of its 
advantages, the librar\' has continued to 



grow in size and usefulness under the 
guidance of wise selections from among 
Lowell's most prominent citizens to be its 
trustees, until the recent reveise inflicted 
upon it by the damage from fire to its 
quarters, found it with 4^,000 well-selected 
volumes upon its shelves, including a care- 
fullv selected reference library, and an an- 



55 



nual circulation of about 1 1 =5,000 volumes. 

For several years, tlie city of Lowell 
has recognized the pressing need of more 
commodious acconinioiiations for this most 
useful of all its public institutions, and no 
plan for the utilization of the city hall lot 
has been considered complete until it 
should present ample provisions for that 
need. 

The building which is now being erected 
with the double pmpose of commemorat- 
ing Lowell's dead soldiers and furnishing 
ample quarters for the City Library will 
compare favorably in appearance and ap- 
pointments with the other library build- 
ings of the state. 



The occupation of tliis new building, 
which will not long be delayed, will add a 
new and important element to the useful- 
ness and accessibility of the City Library. 

The appropriation for the City Library 
for 1SS9 was $14,500, and the total ex- 
jicnditures $18,494.44, of wliich sum 
$6500 in round numlDers was devoted to 
the purchase and binding of new volumes. 
The Library adds annually about 3000 
volumes to its number. 

The' trustees of the Library at this time 
are ALayor Fifieid, Hon. George F. Rich- 
ardson, Frank P. Putnam, Tliomas Walsh, 
Larkin T. Trull and Dr. Stephen T. 
Johnson. 



MILITARY. 
Lowell's martial record and present force. 



A bright page in Lowell's history is 
that upon which are inscribed the deeds 
of valor of her citizen soldiery. The 
records are without a parallel from one 
end of the continent to the other ; the city 
is justly filmed for the part she has taken 
and the position maintained in the many 
struggles since her founding. 

Her militar}' history opens many years 
ago when New England was a wilderness 
over which roamed the redskin. For 
mutual protection, the settlers on the banks 
of the Merrimack organized into armed 
bodies, and as early as 1656, a major- 
general, one Daniel Gookin, assumed 
military jurisdiction over the region round 
about Pawtucket Falls. The settlers took 
an active part against hostile Indians 
during King Phillip's war, and in 1688, 
under Major Henchman, fought many 
battles on the banks of the river. From 
this time forward, there was always an 
armed force in the settlement, then Chelms- 
ford, now Lowell. To the Frencli and 
Indian war was contributed a company of 
men, which constituted a part of the at- 
tacking force on the Louisburg fortress. 
The first step taken, however, and which 
has proven the foundation of Lowell's later 
military history, was the part taken by the 
soldiers of Chelmsford at the battle of 
Bunker Hill, and through subsequent 
events of the Revolution. It was not un- 
til September, 1S59, '^''''' ''^'-' services of 
these soldiers were fittingly recognized 
when a monument to their bravery and 



patriotism was dedicated in Chelmsford. 
The town was also represented in the 
struggle of 181 2, and among the famous 
warriors was Commodore Perry, the hero 
of Putin Bay, whose descendants are still 
resident in Lowell. 

Tlie first militia compau)' org;niized 
after Lowell came into existence was the 
Mechanics' Phalanx, on July 4th, 1S25, 
which company has the past winter cele- 
brated its sixty-sixth birthday. Numerous 
companies sprang up during subsequent 
years, but onlv a few became permanent. 
Among the former were the Highlanders 
in 1S41, who carried pikes, the City Guard 
in 1S41, the Watson Light Guard in 1S51, 
and the Lawrence Cadets in 1S55. Many 
of Lowell's foremost men served in the 
militia during the early days, notably Gen. 
B. F. Butler, who joined the City Guards 
as a private and rose step by step to 
the position of brigadier-general of volun- 
teer militia before the war. It is in the 
Civil war that Lowell shines conspicuous, 
for she was the first to lespond with men 
and money for the defence of the Union, 
and she gave the first martyrs to the 
cause. 

The fall of Sumter produced a sensation 
in the city of spindles and President 
Lincoln's call for troops found an immedi- 
ate response from the troops in Lowell, 
consisting of four companies, Co. C, Me- 
chanics' Phalanx, Capt. Follansbee ; Co. 
D, City Guards, Capt. J. W. Hart ; Co. 
H, Watson Guards, Capt. J. F. Noyes ; 



56 



Co. A, Lawrence Catlets, afterw.iids 
National Greys, Capt. Savvtclle. These 
four companies were mustered April i6th, 
iS6i, anil joined the Sixth Regiment in 
Boston the next morning. The regiment 
was then ordered to the defence of the 
National Capitol, and on the 19th Balti- 
more was reached. Two Lowell com- 
panies started to cross the city and while 
doing so were attacked by an infuriated 
mob, and there, on Pratt street, was shed 
the first blood of the war, Addison O. 
Whitney, Luther C. Ladd and Charles A. 
Taylor of the City Guards being the 
martyrs. The remains of Ladd and 
Whitney were brought to Lowell on May 



6th, 1S61, and buried in the Lowell ceme- 
tery, until four years later when they 
were reinterred under a granite shaft in 
Monument Square with appropriate and 
impressive ceremonies. 

The Sixth regiment was brigaded under 
Gen. Butler. Among the other military 
companies going to the front were the 
Hill Cadets, afterwards D Co., i6th Bat- 
tery ; Richardson Light Infantry, after- 
wards Seventh Battery ; Abbott Greys, 
attached to the Second Infantry; G Co., 
Sixteenth Infantry ; Twenty-Sixth Regi- 
ment, which was attached to the Depart- 
ment of the Gulf ; the Sixth and Seventh 
batteries early in 1S62 ; the Thirty-First 




LO\VELI- ARMORY. 



Infantry at the second call of President 
Lincoln ; and another Sixth Regiment for 
nine months service which participated in 
the Suftblk Campaign. In Lowell was 
also organized the fiist Soldiers' Aid 
Association, afterwards the Sanitary Com- 
mission. 

Lowell's roll of honor was a long one, 
as hundreds of her citizen soldiers yielded 
up their lives in defence of the Union. 
After the war military enthusiasm 



naturally waned, but tiie glorious records 
of past years kept intci'est centered in the 
Phalanx and Putnam Guards. 

An unfortunate occurrence from a his- 
torical stand-point, was the destruction of 
all records by a fire in 1S60 in the Market 
Street Armory, and afterward another fire 
in iS6g at the same place. 

The companies were afterward moved 
to a new armory on Middle Street which 
they occupied for nearly a score years. 



57 



until lire was again tlie nemeslb uf the 
militia, destroying the hiiikhng on the 
night of Jan.'ioth, iSSS. During the 
year previous to this, the young blood of 
the city had become stirred again and D 
Co., Second Corp of Cadets, of which 
three other companies belong in Salem, 
M Co., Ninth Regiment, and the Ambu- 
lance Corps connected with the First 
Brigade Staff were organized and muster- 
ed into service. All the organizations 
flourished despite the fact that they were 
sadly inconvenienced for proper accom- 
modations. 

Now the militia is comfortably quar- 
tered in an armory on Westford street, 
completed and formally opened Dec. loth, 
1S90. While perhaps not the largest, it 
is among the largest, best constructed and 
most commodious armories in the state. 

During the spring of iSSS the urgent 
need of proper quarters for the companies 
was brought to the attention of the state 
legislature and an appropriation of $105,- 
000 was made. The site selected con- 
tained 18,491 square feet. The contracts 
amounted to $71,089 and eighteen months 
were required to build the armory. It is 
a castellated structure, three stories in 
height, turreted battlements with octagon 
and round towers end a fine porta cochere 
entrance. The mean dejjth including 
drill shed is 104 feet with an 84-foot front. 
Interiorly the building is admirably adapt- 
ed for military purposes. There is a 



wide vestibule with corridors leading to 
the doors of company rooms. Each or- 
ganization has reception, non-commis- 
sioned and commissioned officers' rooms, 
uniform and gun rooms fitted with every 
convenience. On tlie first floor are quar- 
tered C Co., 6th Regiment and M Co., 
9th Regiment ; on the second floor, G 
Co., 6th Regiment and D Co., Second 
Corps of Cadets ; on the third floor. Am- 
bulance Corps, First Brigade. The upper 
floor is used in part by the regimental 
drum corps, the gymnasium and the jani- 
tor. There is also on the second floor a 
finely furnished reception room ; also an 
armorer's office, rifle range and bath 
rooms in the building. The quarters are 
all lavishly furnished by the companies 
wliile the state has completed the build- 
ing interiorly after the same general style 
of the exterior. The commandant of the 
armory is Capt. Orestes M. Pratt, com- 
manding the Mechanics' Phalanx, the 
present senior oflicer in the city. The 
commands are officered as follows : C Co., 
Capt. O. M. Pratt; Lieuts. G. E. Lull 
and A. D. Prince; G Co., Capt. W. H. 
Bean; Lieuts. E. B. Carr and W. F. 
Miles; D Co., Capt. W. H. Hosmer ; 
Lieut. Alex. Greig; M Co., Capt. C. H. 
Russell ; Lieuts. "A. D. Mitten and T. 
Gauley ; Ambulance Corps, Lieut. Myles 
Standish ; Sergts. G. W. Conant and 
H. D. Pickering. 



LOWELL BOARD OF TRADE. 



A PLACE WHERE OUR LIVE BUSINESS MEN MEET TO DISCUSS MATTERS OF 

IMPORTANCE. 



In the early part of 18S7, a number of 
our business men began to agitate the 
question of forming a local Board of 
Trade. That there was plenty of work 
for them to do in the line of advancing 
the interests of the city went without say- 
ing, and on the 23rd of May they effected 
an organization, suitable quarters having 
been secured in the Hildreth building, 
and at once began a vigorous growth. 
From a score or more originators of the 
plan the membership increased into the 
hundreds, and with this growth other 
accommodations were needed, and the 
present rooms on the top floor of the 
Central block were taken and appropri- 



ately opened. In its career the Board 
has distinguished itself by taking up and 
discussing many questions of importance 
to the city, and it is at present agitating 
the question of better railroad facilities 
between Lowell and Boston. 

Within the past few months tlie office 
of Secretary has been made a permanent 
one, so that the Board now has a man 
always working in its interest to secure 
the settlement of outside industries in the 
city, and in attending to other important 
matters which come up from time to 
time. 

The officers of the Board for 1SS7-S 
were : President, Charles H. Coburn ; 



58 



vice presidents, Cliarles E. Adams, 
George A. [Marden, Henry M. Thomp- 
son ; secretary, Chas. ^V^ Eaton ; treas- 
urer, G. Wintield Knovvlton ; directors, 
A. G. Poliard, E. N. Wood, Amasa 
Pratt, R. M. Boutvvell, C. H. Hobson. 

For the year 1SS9 the officers were: 
President, Charles H. Coburn ; vice- 
presidents, Charles E. Adams, Francis 
Jewett, Edward N. Wood ; secretary, 
Chas. W. Eaton; treasurer, G. Winfield 
Knovvlton ; directors, Arthur G. Pollard, 
R. M. Boutwell, Amasa Pratt, Charles 
H. Hobson, Patrick O'Hearn. 

For the year 1S90: President, Charles 
E. Adams; vice-presidents, George A. 
Marden, Francis Jewett, Edward N. 
Wood ; secretary, Chas. W. Eaton ; treas- 
urer, G. Winfield Knowlton ; directors, 
Chas. W. Wilder, Patrick O'Hearn, Pres- 
cott C. Gates, Chas. A. Stott, Joseph L. 
Chalifoux. 

The present officers are ; President, 
Chas. E. Adams ; vice-presidents, George 
A. Marden, Francis Jewett, Charles A. 
Stott ; secretary, James T. Smith ; treas- 
urer, G. Winfield Knowlton ; directors, 
Joseph L. Chalifoux, Otis A. Merrill, 
William H. Ward, James O'Sullivan. J. 
W. C. Pickering. 

There is a great and growing field for 
the Board of Trade, and already its influ- 
ence is being felt in a profitable manner. 
The Board is fortunate certainly in secur- 
ing the valuable services of Mr. Smith. 

LIST OF MKMBERS. 



Atlams, Chas. E. 
Allen, Chas. II. 
Abbott, E. T. 
Boutwell, R. M. 
Bateraan, A. P. 
Brennan, M. F. 
Butler, Josiah 
Barnes, Henry W. 
Bacheller, N. J. N. 
Butler, F. H. 
Burtt, Chas. H. 
Baker, E. G. 
Blackburn, A. 
Bartlett, R. G. 
Bailey, Frederick 
Brock, G. C. 
Bennett, J. W. 
Boutwell, R. H. 
Benner, E. J. 
Bagley, G. W. 
Batcheliler, Geo. W. 
Burbank, W. P. 
Burke, John C. 
Blake, Chas. E. 
Brazer, Wm. P. 
Butterficld, Edwin G. 



Hardware, Paints, etc. 

Lumber 

Insurance 

Iron and Steel 

Lumber 

.American Bolt Co. 

Cotton Waste 

Merchant Tdilor 

I'rinter 

Apothecary 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Minister of Gospel 

Real Estate 

Apothecary 

Apothecary 

Contractor 

Iron and Steel 

Furniture 

Carpenter 

Lawyer 

Postmaster 

Lawyer 

Master Mechanic 

Furnishing Goods 

Printer 



Coburn, C. H. 
Coggeshall, J. H. 
Chalifoux, J. L. 
Collins, Michael 
Coburn, Walter 
Cashing, Jos. L. 
Conant, E. B. 
Cheney, C. W. 
Coburn, E. F. 
Chase, James A. 
Carte r, ('has. E. 
Church, F. C. 
Conners, P. P. 
Carney, Geo. J. 
Crosby, C. T. 
Carotin, Thomas 
Cluin, John J. 
Carll, Francis 
Chamberlain, C. T. 
Clement, Geo. W. 
Cumnock, A. G. 
Callaghan, John 
Currier, J. B. 
Cashing, H. G. 
Church, H. C. 
Cheney, John L. 
Corbett, M. 
Coburn, Clarence G. 
Chadwick, A. M. 
Coburn, Frank 
Chase, David 
Conlon, Patrick 
Clarke, Alfred 
Connell, Thos. H. 
Coburn, Geo. B. 
Coughlin, Wm. .T. 
Derbyshire, .V. W. 
Dunlap, Harry 
Dexter, S. K. 
Dickinson, W. .V. 
Derby, L. A. 
Dumiia, Levi 
Dobbins, Richard 
Dempsey, Geo. C. 
David, P. Jr. 
Dickey, Charles M. 
Dudley, D. E. 
Donovan, J. J. 
Eaton, Chae. W. 
Elft, Horace 
Ellingwood. Edward 
Entwistle, T. C. 
Elliott, Thomas H. 
Erskine, C. JI. 
Fifield, Geo. W. 
I-'rancis, James 
Fuller, H. C. 
Flemings, F. J. 
Foss, Ether S. 
Foye, W. P. 
Fels, .\ugu8t 
French, Josiah B. 
Fox, Fred .\. 
Floyd, Warren L. 
Fish, Charles T. 
Ford, F. H. 
tiates, Prescott C. 
Glidden, Chas. J. 
tiates, R W. 
Gookin, M. F. 
Gould, S. S. 



Paints, Oils. &c. 

H. K. Barker Mfg Co. 

Clothing 

Manufacturer 

Cotton Waste 

Galvanized Iron 

Auctioneer 

Fancy Groceries 

Paints, Oils, &c. 

Stable Keeper 

Apothecary 

Insurance 

Coal, Lime. &c. 

Treasurer Savings Bank 

Furniture Manufacturer 

Real Estate 

Jeweller 

Real Estate 

Undertaker 

Lawyer 

A^ent B. Cotton Mills 

Stoves, .J;c. 

Undertaker 

Sheriff 

Insurance 

Bobbin Manufacturer 

Provisions 

Grocer 

Paymaster 

Insurance, &c. 

City Auditor 

Contractor 

Electrician 

Contractor 

Insurance 

Real Estate 

Fancy (Jroceries 

Dry (ioods 

Commission Merchant 

Soaps, i<:0. 

Electrician 

Bookbinder 

Boiler Maker 

Clerk 

Painter 

Hotel Keeper 

Life Insurance 

Groceries 

Stock Broker 

Grocer 

Apothecary 

Manufacturer Machinery 

Real Estate 

(Jrocer 

Manufacturer Machinery 

.\gent Locks i>i Canals 

Real Estate 

Paper 

Contractor 

Gra^D, &c. 

.\gent M. AVoolen Mills 

Electrician 

Farmer 

.\rchitect 

Real Estate 

.Vrchitect 

Belting, ij. 

Treasurer Erie T. C. 

Belting, &c. 

F'urniture 

Card Clothing 



59 



Greenhalge, F. T. 
Gray, Frank 
dray, Albert M. 
(ioodale, F. C 
(iibson, John I. 
(ireenwooil, M. 
llobeon, ('has. H. 
Harris, A. W. 
Harrington, J. H. 
Hanchett, Frank 
Ilanscom, Geo. A. 
Hutchinson, C. C. 
Hood, Chas. I. 
Haworth, .)ohn H. 
Holden, Fdward D. 
Huse, Harry V. 
Hylan, K. S. 
Huntoon, Geo. L. 
Home, Frederick 
Howe, Henry C. 
Howe, Frank W. 
Hosford, A. H. 
Haggett, A. A. 
Houston, A. Glarke 
Howard, John H. 
Howe, ('has. E. 
Hayes, W. H. I. 
Huse, Hiram E. 
Howe, Wm. G. 
Hansjon, C. H. 
Hanscom, Wm. H. 
Jewett, Francis 
Knowlton, (i. W. 
Kittredge, L. F. 
Kelley, I'atrick 
Kelley, Frank F. 
Kimball, Charles H. 
Kimb.all, J. F. 
Knapp, C. L. 
Kilgore, J. M. 
Keyes, P. Jr. 
Littletield, Chas. 
Littlefield, W. S. 
Livingston, W. E. 
Lamson, N. G. 
Lyon, A. S. 
Libliy, M. V. B. 
Lyons, E. J 
Lawton, Frederick 
Latham, C. H. 
Louprct, N. J. 
Leinhas, W. E. 
Lee, Thomas C. 
Lamson, Edwin 
Merrill. Otis A. 
Marden, George A. 
Marston, George H. 
Miller, George W. 
Medina, E. J. 
Manning, George H. 
Murphy, James, 
Mitchell, F. G. 
Merrill, Frank M. 
Morse, S. Warren 
Morse, E. H. 
Mack, W. A. 
Maxfield, K. A. 
Nichols, A. F. 
Nichols, Edwin 
Norris, Geo. W. 
Nesmith, Thos. 



Lawyer 

Provisions 

l*rovisions 

Apothecary 

Apothecary 

(irocer 

H. K. liarker M'f'g Co. 

Paper Hangings, &c. 

Printer 

Commission Merchant 

Printer 

Treasurer 1\L Sav. 15ank 

Patent Medicines 

Cop Tube Manufacturer 

AgeTit Sterling JHUs 

Printer 

Manufaclurer 

IJeal Estate 

Coal, Wood, &c. 

Lumber 

Lumber 

Carriages 

Paymaster 

Editor 

Coal, Wood, &.C. 

Lumber 

Cigars, &c. 

Clothing 

Carpenter 

Sale Stable 

Printer 

AVholesale Provisions 

Cashier W. Nafl B'k. 

Contractor 

Bottler 

Doors, Sashes, etc. 

Clothing 

Banker 

Clerk Water Board 

Life Insurance 

Grocer 

M'f'r Paper Boxes 

M'f'r Paper Boxes 

Coal, Wood, &c. 

Treas. M. R. Sav. B'k. 

Agent L. M'f'g Co. 

Blacksmith. 

Janitor. 

Lawyer 

M'f'r Wire Goods 

Photographer 

Furniture 

Insurance 

Pres. Coburn Shuttle Co 

Architect 

Editor 

Real Estate 

R. R. Agent 

Hair (loods 

Furniture 

Real Estate 

Dry Goods, &c. 

Stationer 

Millinery 

Stable Keeper 

Stoves, &c. 

Manufacturer 

Foundry 

Commission Merchant 

Stable Keeper 

lieal Estate 



Noyes, E. J. 
O'llearn, P. 
O'SuUivan, James 
Pollard, A. G. 
Pratt, Amasa 
Potter, W. E. 
Puffer, Jas^ F., Jr. 
Peabody, J. G. 
Pindar, J. H. 
Puffer, F. W. 
Preston, Jas. F. 
Perham, H. C. 
Perkins, M. G. 
Palmer, Charles D. 
Pevey, James A. 
Pike, S. P. 
Parker, Samuel G. 
Puffer, S. B. 
Perkins, F. S. 
Parker, Percy 
Pickering, J. W. C. 
Page, Dudley L. 
Pinder, Jos. L. 
Putnam, Addison 
Pickman, John J. 
Pindar, Albert 
Putnam, F. E. 
Prescott, D. M. 
Parker, Fred H. 
Pevey, F. S. 
Pierce, C. W. 
Pearson, James M. 
Putnam, Oeorge E. 
Partridge, A. V. 
(iuinn.E. B. 
Qua, F. W. 
Rice, H. R. 
Rice, Frvik E. 
Randlett, 0. B. 
Kunels, (ieorge 
Rowell, E. T. 
Russell, A. L. 
Reed, William 
Rogers, George G. 
Ripley, R. S. 
Reed, George G. 
Shepard, Jesse H. 
Stanley, George E. 
Spalding, W. H. 
Shedd, F. B. 
Stiles, Perry P. 
Stott, Thomas 
Smith, Caleb L. 
Stickney, F. W. 
Smith, E. A. 
Simpson, O. A. 
Smitb, Melvin B. 
Stott, Charles A. 
Shaw, Frank E. 
Smith, L. J. 
Stone, Z. E. 
Swett, J. II. 
Sheppard, J. H. 
Shaw, J. W. B. 
Swan, D. A. 
Stevens, Geo. H. 
Smith, James T. 
Stowell, F. E. 
Spalding, W. B. 
Simpson, R. 
Stiles, J. A. 



Corporation Detective 

Contractor 

Boots, Shoes, &c. 

Dry Goods 

Planing, &c. 

Real Estate 

Furniture 

Doors, Sashes, &c. 

Merchant Tailor 

Crockery, &c. 

Talnot DyewoodCo. 

Treasurer K. Mach. Co. 

Real Estate 

Iron Foundry 
Provisions 

Man'f 'r Soda Water, &c. 
R»al Estate 

Machinery Manufacturer 
Paper Manufacturer 
Treas. P. Knitting Co. 
Caterer 
Notions, etc. 
Clothing 
Lawyer 

Superintendent 
Restaurant 
Plasterer 
Grocer 

Iron Foundry 
Agent Express Co. 
Wholesale Fruit, &c. 
Produce Merchant 
Hotel Keeper 
Lawyer 
Lawyer 
Printer 

M'f'r Wire Goods 
Grocer 
Real Estate 
Pres-. R. R. Bank. 
Real Estate 
Stone Contractor 
Jeweller 
Iron Foundry 
Grocer 
Real Estate 
Coal, Wood, &c. 
Paper Hangings 
Cologne Manufacturer 
Grocer 

Card Clothing 
Grocer 
Architect 
Real Estate 
Contractor 
Civil Engineer 
Manufacturer 
Hotel Keeper 
Clothing 
Printer 

Carriage Manufacturer 
Florist 
Real Estate 
Boots, Shoes, &c. 
Lawyer 
Lawyer 
Stable Keeper 
Real Estate 
Wholesale Grocer 
Grocer 



60 



Sliattuck, E. H. 
Staples, Arthur 
Stevens, J. Tyler 
Stevens, K. L. 
Saunders, C. W. 
Sherman, Edward S. 
Sherman, Frederick W. 
Tucke, E. M. 
Thompson, II. M. 
Tweed, T. G. 
Tyler, A. S. 
Tihhets, H. L. 
Thompson, Joscpli P. 
Thompson, A. G. 
Taylor, Frederick 
Trull, Larkin T. 
Trull, Jesse N. 
Taylor, A. C. 
Tryder, George H. 
Thomas, E. W. 
Viles, Jesse A. 
Varnuni, 1). H. 
Varnum, L. R. J. 
Wood, Edward N. 
Wilder, Charles W. 



Hardware 

Slason 

Heal Estate 

Real Estate 

Lumher 

Flour, Grain, &c. 

Insurance 

Insurance 

Felting Manufacturer 

Apothecary 

Treasurer Sav. Bank 

Lumber 

Register of Deeds 

Real Estate 

Hardware 

Lawyer 

Farmer 

Dry Goods 

Stable Keeper 

Agent T. & S. Mills 

Veterinary Surgeon 

Real Estate 

Real Estate 

Flour, Grain, &c. 

Wholesale Trovisions 



Ward, William II. 
Wilder, H. H. 
Wheeler, A. H. 
Wallace, D. R. 
Wilson Josepli M. 
Whithed, Darius 
White, E. L. 
Wiggin, W. H. 
Wliite, W. H. 
Wood, Robert 
Whittier, N. 
AVoodward, G. T. 
Woodworth, A. B. 
Wilson, E. A. 
AVhite, Fred O. 
Watson. W. S. 
AVelch, John 
Wood, George H. 
Wyman, S. B. 
AVhiting, F. A. 
Ward, George M. 
Wheelock, A. C. 
Woodward, John ( 
AVing, W. 0. 
Young, Samuel 



Contractor 

Stoves, &e. 

Grocer 

Insurance 

WholesaleD's'd Beef,&c. 

Soap Manufacturer 

Leather Manufacturer 

Contractor 

Leatlier Manufacturer 

Veterinary Surgeon 

Manufacturer Twine 

Carjienter 

Lumber, &c. 

Coal, Wood, &c. 

Contractor 

Cop Tube Manufacturer 

Furniture Manufacturer 

Jeweller 

Lawyer 

Mortgages, &c. 

I'aper Hangings 

Real Estate 

Real Estate 

Milk I^ealer 

Electrician 




MASTER BUILDERS' EXCHANGE. 

AN AS,SOCIATION FOR THE INTERCHANGE OF SOCIAL, ARCHITECTURAL AND BUSINESS 

INFORMATION. 



The Master Builders' Exchange of 
Lowell was organized in iSSS and at the 
present time has a membership of seventy- 



five. The purpose is to maintain reading 
and exchange rooms for the master 
mechanics in the various branches of 



61 



constructive work employed in the erec- 
tion of buildings, and to aftord facilities 
for information, and the interchange and 
discussion of social, architectural and busi- 
ness matters. 

The special aims are the defence and 
security of the best interests of mechanics 
in the building trades, by providing means 
and authority whereby members of the 
exchange may demand and secure honor- 
able dealing amiingthemselves and in their 
relations to others and tlie attainment of 
uniformity of action. The membership 
is limited to one liundred, and to become 
a member an individual must be engaged 
in one of the following trades, viz. : — 
carpenter, mason, iron worker, granite 
worker, freestone worker, plasterer, 
roofer, copper and galvanized iron 
worker, plumber, painter. The regu- 
lar meetings of the exchange are held 
quarterly in the rooms at the corner of 
Central and Appleton streets, but the 
directors meet once a month. Upon the 
request of two members the jiresident will 
appoint an arbitration committee, and in 
this way many business troubles are 
settled every year which otherwise might 
cause dissatisfaction and anno3'ance to 
employes. During the past year the 
business done bv members of the exchange 
amounted to $^,679,564, and $948,694 
was paid for labor. The officers of the 
exchange: President, C. P. Conant ; 
vice-president, E. S. Foss ; secretary, J. 
H. Coggeshall ; treasurer, G. II. Watson ; 
directors, C. P. Conant, Geo. H. Watson, 
Ether S. Foss, G. W. Bagley, S. D. 
Butterworth, L. F. Kittredge, J. H. 
Coggeshall, Wm. E. Bissell, P. Conlon. 



MEMBERSHIP LIST. 

Following are the members of the ex- 
change: J. W. Bennett, G. A. Bennett, 
W. H. Wiggin, T- H. Coggeshall, W. E. 
Farrell, P. F. Conaton, W.' G. Howe, A. 
Bibeault, L. F. Kittredge, Wm. Reed, 
W. H. Kimball, P. B.^Qiiinn, G. W. 
Baglev, G. E. Barclav, H. H. Wilder, 
W.^ F; Wilder, C. H. Nelson, P. O'llcarn, 

E. S. Foss, C. H. Burtt, Wilder Bennett, 
Patrick Corcoran, B. H. Staples, W. II. 
Staples, Robert Goulding, W. C. Gould, 
John Sweatt, Jonathan Rollins, B. F. 
Sargent, W. A. Mack, G. H. Watson, 
Chas. Runels,F. O. White, G. H. Kirbv, 
H. E. Fletcher, W. E. Livingston, W. H. 
Hope, Joel Knapp, A. P. Knapp, W. H. 
Spalding, A. W. Harris, G. M. Ward, 
T. Costello, T- Costello, D. Cushing, J. 
L. Cushing, W. E Bissell, R. H. Wilson, 

F. H. Connell. S. D. Butterworth, H. W. 
Ladd. C P. Conant, W. II. Fuller, ]r., 
Patrick Conlon, J. A. Bartlett, F. B. Dow, 
F. C. Beharrell, James Whittet, Colin 
McDonald, H. Sutherland, F. B. Taylor, 
C. F.Varnum, J. B. Varnum, -S. H. Jones, 
P. David. Jr.. D. M. Prescott, j. C. 
Chenev, Jv , Edward Cavvlev, L. D.Gumb, 
J. F. Murphv, F. A. Stuitevant, E. E. 
Galer, B. Scannell, D. Wholey, C. B. 
Coburn, C. H. Coburn, F. F. Coburn, 
Mark Holmes, C.W.Holmes,S.H.Geddes, 
Wm. Kellev, A. L. Brooks, E. N. Morrill, 
F. E. Lewis, A. K. Pierce, F. W. Howe, 
J. F. Howe, H. C. Howe, Crawford 
Burnham, C. O. Davis, Amasa Pratt & 
Co., Samuel Young & Co., electricians. 



LIBRARIES. 

LIBRARIES WHICH ARE MAINT.MNED BY PRIVATE SUBSCRIPTION. 



In addition to the City Library which 
has been described elsewhere, Lowell is 
well provided with other libraries of a 
semi-private nature. 

Chief among them is the library of the 
Middlesex Mechanics association. The 
Ibunding of this society is an excellent 
sample of the spirit of self-help, and 
social and educational advancement which 
has always been manifest among the 
masses of Lowell's population. The 
association was founded as an association 



of mechanics only in 182"^. It erected a 
building of its own in i83T'at a cost of 
$20,000. The collection of the librarv 
proper was begun in 1S27, and tlie library 
was opened in its present quarters, with 
the completion of the new building, in 

The librarv embraces upwards of 22,000 
carefully selected volumes, maintains a 
reading room, and is increased annually 
from an appropriation of about .$^00. 
The association owns a considerable 



62 



collection of portraits of persons who 
have been at one time or other identified 
with Lowell and its growth. The associ- 
ation gives lectures or concerts, or both, 
during the winter season from the pro- 
ceeds of which, and from private contri- 
butions, it derives its support. 

This library is under the supervision of 
Miss Abby Sargent, and its privileges are 
enjoyed b}' a large number of subscribers. 
The annual fee is a nominal one of $v 

The library of the Middlesex Nortli 
Agricultural society, consisting of about 
400 volumes treating mainly of ;.gricultu- 
ral sul>iects, has in recent vears been 
made a part of the Meclianics library. 

Tiie library of the Young Men's Cath- 
olic association contains in the neighbor- 
hood of 1200 volumes, selected mainly 
w ith reference to the needs and tastes of 
the members of the association. 

The Mathew and Burke Temperance 
Institutes, each maintain a library for the 
use of their members. These collections 
are made up from standard ^vorks of fic- 
tion ; histor}-, biography, general literature 



also form a part. In connection with 
these libraries are maintained reading 
rooms in which arc to be found a liberal 
selection from the magazine and periodi- 
cal literature of the day. 

The Young Men's Christian association 
possesses about 1000 volumes, together 
with standard books of reference and a 
reading room. This library is one that 
is fast increasing not only in the number 
of its volumes but in its general usefulness 
as well. 

The People's club maintains a library of 
some 1600 volumes, which are divided for 
use between the men's and women's 
branches of that club. The club sup- 
ports two reading rooms, and its library is 
much used. 

The library of the Old Resident's His- 
torical association is fast becoming an 
invaluable collection of information con- 
cerning matters pertaining to Lowell and 
its early history. This library now num- 
bers something like 500 volumes, includ- 
ing a collection of papers read at the 
quarterl}- meetings of the association. 




NEW MOODY SCHOOL. 



63 



NEWSPAPERS. 

LOWELL HAS SEA'EN DAILY DISPENSERS OF INFORMATION. 



Lowell is more abundantly supplied with 
newspapers than any city of its approxim- 
ate size in New England. The large 
number of daily newspapers has brought 
about a sharp competition that has made 
itself felt in a natural raising of the stand- 
ard of the news service, with a correspond- 
ing depression in atlvertising rates. 

In addition to the city circidation, the 
newspapeis of Lowell as a rule reach a 
considerable number of readers in the sur- 
rounding towns whose inhabitants pur- 
chase their supplies in Lowell. 

Lowell has two morning and five even- 
ing newspapers. The morning news- 
papers are the Lowell Morning Mail, re- 
publican, and the Lowell Morning Times, 
democratic. 

The evening newspapers are the Lowell 
Daily Citizen, republican ; the Lowell 
Daily Courier, lepublican; the Lowell 
Daily News, democratic ; the Lowell 
Evening Mail, issued from the office of 
the Morning Mail, and the Evening Star, 
issued from the office of the Morning 
Times. The Daily News and the Evening 
Star are one cent newspapers ; all others 
thus far enumerated are two cents. 



The Saturday Evening Mail is issued in 
connection with the morning and evening 
etlitions of the same paper. 

The American Citizen is issued on 
Thursday by the Citizen Newspaper com- 
pany. 

The Lowell Journal (weekly) is issued 
by Marden & Rowell, also proprietors of 
the Lowell Daily Courier. 

The Vox Populi is issued on Wednes- 
days and Saturdays and is republican in 
politics. 

The Lowell Sun is issued on Saturdays 
and is democratic in politics. 

The Sunday Critic is issued on Sunday 
mornings and is democratic. 

The Simday Arena is issued on Sunday 
mornings and is republican in politics. 

Three newspapers in the French lan- 
guage are issued in Lowell, L'Etoile, 
semi-weekly, republican ; Le National, 
dailv, democratic ; and Le Drapeau 
National, weekly. 

There are a number of other publica- 
tions issued in Lowell, including a publica- 
tion by the students of the Lowell high 
schoc)l, a monthlv magazine, and several 
others of a semi-advertising nature. 



HOSPITALS. 

WHERE THE SICK AND THE MAIMED MAY FIND RESCUE. 



Lowell has two well equipped hospitals, 
the usefulness of which has become 
more apparent as the population increases. 
The iirst of these, known as the Lowell, 
or Corporation Hospital, was established 
in 1S39 f^*" ''^^ '-'^^ °'" pei'sons employed 
l)v the various corporations of the city. 
The location of this hospital is one of the 
finest for its purpose in the city, being 
upcjn high ground overlooking the Merri- 
mack river. The management of this 
hospital is vested in a board of trustees 
composed of the local agents of the vari- 
ous corporations together with two other 
citizens, one of whom shall be the mayor 
of the city. Since iSSi the hospital has 
been in charge of a stafl" of visiting physi- 
cians and surgeons who give their services 
gratuitously. 

The hospital buildings are commodious 



and well arranged and furnish ample ac- 
commodation for about fifty patients at a 
time. The hospital treats on an average 
three hundred patients a year, exclusive 
of its out-patient department, established 
in 1877, which is conducted under its sep- 
arate staff' and which is made accessible 
not only to the employes of the corpor- 
ations, ijut to the general poor of the city. 

St. John's Hospital is an efficient insti- 
tution, established in 1S66 by Sister 
Emerentiana at the suggestion of the 
bishop of the diocese, and operated under 
the supervision of the order of the Sisters 
of Charity. From small beginnings, this 
hospital has grown in size, as it has been 
obliged to meet the increasing demands 
upon its services. 

The hospital accommodates about one 
hundred house patients, and treats from 




.MAKSTOX JiUII.DINU, MIDDLESEX STREET. 



65 



four to five hundred patients a year. 
Three times that number are treated in its 
out-patient department, which is con- 
ducted, as in the case of the Lowell Hos- 
pital, imder a staff' especially appointed for 
that work. 

The hospital is to-dav supported by the 
contributions of the public. It knows no 
creed nor color ; nor are its doors ever 
closed upon the poor. Of the whole 
number of patients treated since it was 
tstabli;.hed, nearlv two-thirds have been 
charity patients. It is to all intents and 
purposes a city hospital, and all cases of 
accident, other than those which occur 
in the mills, are taken there for treatment. 
The staff" includes the foremost physicians 
and surgeons in the city, who give their 
services gratuitouslv. The institution is 
of brick, located in Behidere, and finely 
equipped. 

In connection with the hospital two free 
dispensaries are maintained. The Lowell 



Dispensary was incorporated in 1836, and 
is maintained by a fund derived from 
private contributions and from member- 
ship fees. The annual income of this 
fund is devoted to the purchase of medi- 
cines for the relief of the worthy sick 
poor. 

The City Dispensary, established by 
ordinance in 1S79, is supported by an 
annual appropriation of $rooo for the dis- 
tribution of medicines to the sick poor. 
Twelve physicians are chosen to serve for 
one year. In 1SS9, 1S37 prescriptions 
were compounded. The institution is 
conducted under the supervision of the 
overseers of the poor. 

This departnient also maintains an 
efficient ambulance service, with its physi- 
cian especiallv appointetl. The value of 
this service has proven itself so great that 
the city will undoubtedly increase its facili- 
ties by the addition of a second ambulance 
within a short time. 



THE CHURCHES. 

FORTY-FOUR TEMPLES DE\OTED TO THE WORSHIP OF GOD. 



There are forty-four churches in Lowell. 
Some of them are handsome, pretentious 
buildings, others are modestly suited to 
the spirit of their congregations. Of the 
forty-four, thirty-six belong to Protestant 
denominations, seven to the Catholic faith, 
and one to Judaism. There are besides 
these, several missions and the Voung 
Men's Christian Association. 

Pawtucket — This Congregational church 
was incorporated June 22, 1797. It is the 
oldest church in the city. Its present 
pastor is the Rev. Charles H. Willcox. 

First Congregational. — This society was 
organized June 6, 1826. The church is a 
handsome brick edifice, costing $60,000. 
It is located on Merrimack street, directly 
opposite the new Memorial building. It 
has now no settled pastor. 

The Eliot. — This Congregational church 
was organized in 1S30, and was named in 
honor of the famous apostle to the Indians. 
The church is an imposing brick edifice, 
situated on .Summer street and overlooking 
the South Common. The pastor is the 
Rev. Dr. J. M. Greene, who has been its 
minister since 1870. 

John Street. — This Congregational so- 
ciety was organized in 1839. The present 
church edifice was built in 1S40. The 



present pastor is the Rev. Henry T. Rose, 
who was installed in 1SS3. 

Kirk Street.— This is another Congrega- 
tional church. It was organized in 1S45. 
The present church was built in 1846 at a 
cost of $23,000. It has several times been 
renovated and altered. The present pastor 
is the Rev. Dr. Malcolm McGregor Dana, 
who was installed Oct. 11, 1SS8. 

High Street. — Another Congregational 
church, established in 1S46. The edifice 
stands on a commanding elevation. It is 
of wood with abattlemented tower, which 
is a landmark in the community. Plans 
have been prepared for a new and more 
substantial structure. The present pastor 
is the Rev. Charles W. Huntington, who 
was installed in 188S. 

Highland Congregational. — A handsome 
structure of brick, located on Westford 
street, and completed in 1SS4. There is 
no settled pastor at this time. 

French Protestant. — A Congregational 
church, with edifice of stone, on Bow'ers 
street. The present pastor is the Rev. 
Joseph H. Paradis. 

St. Anne's. — When Lowell was a town 
and the Merrimack company the control- 
ling industrial and social factor of the com- 
munity of 1200 souls, St. Anne's was es- 



66 



tablished. KirkBoott was a Episcopalian 
and he established an Episcopal church in 
1S24. Previous to that time religious 
services had been held in a two story 
wooden building on Merrimack street. 
In that year the Rev. Theodore Edson was 
called to be the minister of the church 
and on March 16, 1S25, the present pic- 
turesque stone edifice was erected. Dr. 
Edson remained its rector until his death 
in June, 1SS3, after a faithful service of 
59 years. His ministry was a remarkable 
one and he died in the full odor of sanctity 
— a man beloved and venerated by all the 
people. The present rector is the Rev. 
Dr. A. St. John Ciiambre. Attached to 
the church is tlie Edson orphanage for 
boys. 

In the tower of the church is a chime of 
bells famous throughout New England for 
their sweet toned melody. 

St. John's. — This is a picturesque Epis- 
copal church edifice on Gorham street. 
The society was organized in i860. The 
Re^^ Leander C. Manchester has been 
rector since 1S73. 

House of Prayer. — A small wooden 
church on Walker street devoted to worship 
of the ritualistic order. The present rector 
is the Rev. J. Q. Davis. 

First Presbyterian. — It was organized in 
iS6g, and worships in an old but verv 
substantial building on Appleton street. 
Rev. Robert Court, D. D., is the learned 
pastor. 

Westminster Presbyterian. — It is soon 
to enter a pleasant wooden church on 
Tyler street. The society is three vears 
old and Rev. J. O. Campbell is the pastor. 
First Baptist. — The edifice on Church 
street was built soon after the society was 
organized in 1S26, but it has since been 
modernized. Rev. Alexander Blackburn 
is the pastor. 

Worthen Street Baptist. — This is one of 
the most picturesque churciies in the city. 
It is of brick and of the Italian style of ar- 
chitecture. The society was organized in 
1S31, and W. S. Ayres is the pastor. 

Branch Street Tabernacle. — A large 
wooden building with a seating capacity 
of 1500. The society is Baptist and was 
organized in 1S69. The pastor is Rev. O. 
E. Mallory. 

Fifth Street Baptist. — A pleasant wood- 
en chapel belonging to a society that was 
organized in 1S74. Rev. L. G. Barrett 
has looked out for'the spiritual wants of 
the church since Jan. i, iS88. 



Paige Street Baptist. — This society, or 
ganized in 1S33, '^ of the Fiee Will order- 
The church is of brick, severely plain in 
design without, but inviting within. Rev. 
George N. Howard was installed as its 
pastor in iSSv 

Mt. Vernon Ciiurch. — A pleasant chap- 
el in a somewhat elevated location. The 
society was organized as F. W. Baptist in 
1874, and Rev. C. S. Frost is acting 
pastor. 

Chelmford .Street Church. — A cosy 
brick building, built soon after the organ- 
ization of the F. W. Baptist society in 
1880. Rev. H. Lockhart is pastor. 

St. Paul's Church. — .Situated between 
Warren and Hurd streets. It is high, 
of the style of twenty years ago. The 
interior is lit bv electricity. The society, 
which is sixty-four vears old, was the first 
of the Methodist Episcopal denomination 
organized in the. city. Rev. W. H. 
Thomas was appointed its pastor in April 
of the current year. 

Worthen Street Methodist. — Organized 
in 1S38. It occupies a renovated wooden 
church opposite that of the Baptists. Rev. 
G. C. Osgood is the pastor. 

Central Methodist. — It is situated at the 
corner of John and Paige streets, and is 
similar in design to the Baptist churcli in 
its rear. Rev. J. N. Short is entering upon 
the fourth year of his pastorate. The 
society was organized in 1843. 

Highland Methodist. — It is pleasantly 
located on Loring street. The society 
was organized in 1S75, and the present 
pastor, Rev. Alexander Dight, secured his 
appointment in 1S89. 

Centralville Methodist. — This substan- 
tial brick church at the corner of Bridge 
and Hildreth streets, has not yet been 
occupied a month. Rev. Sullivan Holman, 
who organized the society in 1S87, has 
been a ])reacher for more than fifty years. 

First Primitive Methodist. — A wooden 
church on Gorham street. The society 
has been in existence for more than twenty 
years, and Rev. T. M. Bateman is its 
pastor. 

Berean Primitive Methodist. — A wood- 
en chapel on Moore street. The society 
was the outgrowth of a mission established 
in 1884. Rev. T. G. Spencer has been 
its pastor for three years. 

Unitarian Church. — In the upper story 
of a building on Merrimack street. The 
society, organized in 1S29, supports a 
number of excellent social and literary 



67 



iVateniities. Rev. George Batchelor is the 
pastor. 

Miiiistry-at-Large. — Situated oiiMicklle- 
sex street, and organized in 1S43 under 
the auspices of the Unitarian society. Its 
aim is to befriend the worthy poor. Rev. 
G. C. Wright is in charge. 

First Universalist.-A noble brick cliurch 
on Hurd street built at a cost of $So,ooo. 
Its interior is one of the finest in the city. 
The society was organized in 1827 and 
the pastor, Rev. George W. Bicknell, was 
installed in December, 1S79. 

Second Universalist. — A sombre stone 
church on Shattuck street. Rev. R. A. 
Green has been the pastor for eighteen 
years. The society dates from 1S36. 

Advent Christian Church. — Organized 
in 1S46 and worshiping in a church on 
Grand street. Elder J. Ward is the 
preacher. 

. Swedisii Evangelican Church. — Situ- 
ated on Meadowcroft street within easy 
reach of nianv Swedish families. Rev. 
J. V. Soderman is the pastor. The soci- 
ety was organized in 1SS3. 

Swedish Evangelical Mission. — It is 
of the Congregational faith and was 
organized six years ago. It is situated on 
London street with Rev. Emil Holmblad 
as its pastor. 

St. Patrick's Church. — A substantial 
stone edifice on Fenwick street. In its 
lofty tower is a set of melodious chimes. 
The society was organized in 1S27 as the 
first of the Catholic faith. The rector is 
Rev. Michael O'Brien and his assistants 



are Rev. J. A. Gleason, Re\ . J. J. Shaw 
and Rev. Thomas Burke. 

St. Peter's Church. — At present a tem- 
porary structure on Gorham street await- 
ing the building of a costly church oppo- 
site the court house. Its rectors are Rev. 
Michael Ronan, Rev. James McKenna 
and Rev. Thomas D. McManus. The 
society was established in 1S41. 

St. Joseph's Church. — A substantial 
granite building on Lee street. The soci- 
ety is twenty-three years old and is in 
charge of Revs. A. M. Garin, Alexander 
Founier, C. Lagier, A. Gladu and A. 
Marion. 

Immaculate Conception. — A magnifi- 
cent granite church of the Gothic order. 
It is tlie largest in the city and has a seat- 
ing capacity of 3,000. Rev. W. D. Joyce 
is the rector and he has several assistants. 
The society was established in 1S69. 

St. Michael's Church. — Another Catho- 
lic society organized in 1SS3. Only the 
lower portion of its brick church on Sixth 
street is finished. Rev. William O'Brien 
and Rev. J. Gilday are the rectors. 

The .Sacred Heart. — A church on Moore 
street which is also unfinished. The or- 
ganization of the society took place in 1SS4 
and the present rectors are Rev. J. M. 
Guillard and Rev. D. M. Burns. 

St. jean Baptiste. — This society was 
organized in 1SS9 and worships in the 
basement of what in time will be a fine 
brick church on Merrimack street. Rev. 
J. W. Pelletier is in charge and he is 
assisted by Revs. J. T. Lavoie, A. A. 
Amvot and R. Marion. 



THE CITY OF THE DEAD. 



The '' resting places" of Lowell's dead, 
consecrated spots in our very midst, ever 
reminding us of the uncertainty of our 
earthly existence, are six in number, four 
of them being located on the southerly 
outskirts of the city. There have been 
other cemeteries within the boundaries in 
the early days of the city, whose small 
area becoming encroached upon by the 
growth of the citv have finally been taken 
up as residential sites after the cemetery 
itself had been condemned. Of these the 
incomplete state of the city's records in 
the early days has prevented the gather- 
ing of statistics relative to the opening 
of, the area and number of graves in each, 



making a historj- of Lowell's cemeteries 
quite incomplete. Of the early ceme- 
teries, that condemned in 1S46, located in 
East Merrimack, just above the junction 
of Nesmith and Alder streets, was prob- 
ably the oldest, and in it undoubtedly were 
interred the bodies of the pioneers who 
cleared the land on what is now the city. 

This cemetery was condemned by the 
city council in 1S46 and the last body re- 
moved to the Lowell cemetery in the 
summer of 1S47. Another cemetery, of 
small area, of whose early history there is 
no record, is the School street burying 
groimd, containing less than half an acre, 
which half a century ago was used by a 



68 



few prominent and wealtliv families as a 
private cemeter}'. With the inception of 
other places, however, many lots passed 
into other hands until no more graves 
could be opened. With the exception of 
intej'ments in family lots of members of 
the family originally owning the lots there 
have been no interments for nearly a 
decade. At periods a movement arises 
to have the cemetery condemned, on the 
sanitary groiuids, but the opposition likely 
to arise from lot owners prcclwdes vigor- 
ous forwarding of that plan. 

The oldest cemetery, of which the open- 
ing date is known, is what is now called 
No. 3 yard, or the old Lowell burying 
ground, the first grave in which was 
opened on August 15, 1835. It is locat- 
ed on Gorham street directly opposite the 
Fair grounds and is of limited area, barely 
exceeding an acre. There have been but 
few interments, and those only in family 
lots, the past decade. For a long period 
the place was neglected but now its ap- 
pearance is that of a well kept and care- 
fullv looked after garden. 

Adjoining it on the south is the Catholic 
cemetery, of large area, and beyond it 
the Edson cemetery, owned by the city, 
comprising about fourteen acres of land 
extending to the Chelmsford line. This 
cemetery was opened in September, 1S46, 
after the city had authorized the purchase 
of a small tract of land. The first inter- 
ment was in the following December. 
The management until this year was en- 
tirely in the hands of the mayor, who 
appointed the superintendent and looked 
after the city's interests. This being the 
only municipal burying ground frequent 
additions of land have been necessary, and 
at the present time there is no available 
space for new graves. The purchase of 
additional land has therefore become nec- 
essary and the appointment of a board of 
trustees to assume management will prob- 
ably result in the purchase of additional 
territory. The trustees, appointed under 
a special enactment of the general court, 
are Fred E. Woodies and Frank B. Dow, 
confirmed by the board of aldermen June 
30th. The Edson cemetery is a beautiful 
place and though the city has not lavished 
a very large sum upon it, there is a stone 
chapel of quaint architecture just inside 
the main entrance. The land is quite 
level and the careful way in which the 
paths and avenues have been laid out 
makes the place pleasing to the eye. 



The largest cemetery is the Lowell, with 
its 84 acres of land, at the foot of the 
southerly slope of Fort Hill park, the main 
entrance into which is from Lawrence 
street, nearly opposite the railway station 
of the Boston & Maine railroad. In the 
cemetery are the evidences of the exjiendi- 
ture of a vast amount of wealth. There 
are magnificent monuments and memorials 
almost without number, and the natural 
beauties of the place have been greatly- 
enhanced by the skill of the architect, the 
engineer and the gardener. The cemetery 
is owned by a corporation, chartered in 
1S41, and the management is vested in a 
board of trustees. 

There are about 13,000 graves in the 
cemetery, and the demand for lots is always 
vigorous. Last year, by an act of legisla- 
ture, the corporation was allowed to buy, 
sell and hold real estate, and accordingl)' 
9^ acres of land were purchased. The 
new purchase is now being laid out, and 
it is to have an entrance from Rogers 
street in Belvidere. The Lawrence street 
entrance is through a magnificent granite 
gate, surmounted by a bell presented the 
corporation in 1S86 by Mrs. Hocum 
Hosford, as a memorial to her husband, 
the late ex-Mayor Hocum Hosford. There 
is also the chapel, a structure which in it- 
self adds much to the beauty of the grounds. 
Among the memorials are many imported 
statues and designs in carved marble. 
Among the most notable will be the colossal 
marble lion, designed and sculptured by 
Mr. Joy in his London studio, and which 
is to be placed in the family lot of J. C. 
Ayer. 

The officers of the corporation are 
Charles L. Knapp, president ; John H. 
McAlvin treasurer ; L. R. J. Varnum, 
A. A. Coburn, D. M. Frescott, C. D. 
Starbird, Francis Jewett, August Fels, A. 
A. Blanchard, C. A. Stott, \V. H. Wiggin, 
H. H. Wilder, G. L. Hildieth and Z. E. 
Stone, trustees; Robert H. Mulno, super- 
intendent. 

The last cemetery to be mentioned is 
called by the family name of those who 
arc the principal lot holders — The Hild- 
reth Burying Ground. It is the smallest 
of the cemeteries and is on Hildreth street 
in Centralville. Here are interred the re- 
mains of members of the Hildreth family, 
and of a few of the earliest residents of that 
section before it became a part of the city. 
Here also is the family lot of a distin- 
guished townsman, Gen. Benjamin F. 



69 



Butler. There are no evidences of vvealtli 
in the appearance of its gravestones ; it is 
the facsimile of a country burial phice in 
the midst of a district which is rapidly 
being built over by houses of the working 
people. 



Such are the cemeteries of the city — • 
the places set apart for the distinct and 
particular purpose of burying the dead, 
the places held sacred — -where the living 
may visit to hold communion in sweet 
memories and visions of the past. 



PLEASURE RESORTS. 

THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION IN AND ABOUT LOWELL. 



Lowell is peculiarly favored in tiie ad- 
vantages it enjovs for recreation and 
natural pleasure. It is built on both sides 
of the picturesque Merrimack where it 
rushes through the gorge of mica schist 
and gneiss. Its banks are high and 
clothed with trees, and here as at Indian 
Orchard are most delightful bits of se- 
questered shade. 

The Concord river, so placid and so 
classical, also flows through Lowell, and 
is no less picturesque in its way than the 
Merrimack, with which it is wedded. 

These two rivers aflbrd a never 
ending and never wearsing source of 
healthful pleasme. The Merrimack 
flows through a piney region, and there 
are no less than six steamers which are 
licensed to carry passengeis. Some of 
these run to Nashua, 14 miles up the 
river; but canoeists can go a dozen miles 
farther without meeting an obstruction. 
Others of the steamers ply between the 
city and Tyng's Island, a popular pleasure 
resort, Harmony Grove in Tyngsboro and 
Woodlawn, all summer resorts. 

The Vesper Boat Club with 150 mem- 
bers, is established in an elegant club 
house on Pawtucket street. It controls a 
numerous navy of canoes and row boats, 
and counts among its members some of 
the crack sailing canoeists of the country. 
There is no other boat club on the Merri- 
mack, but there are several boat houses. 

On the Concord there is an unbroken 
stretch of four miles to North Billerica. 
There the carry is over the bank into the 
old canal, and then there is an unob- 
structed passage to Old Concord and 
Saxonville beyond. Many canoeists make 
the trip of the Concord. Starting at 
Sudbury and entering the Merrimack at 
Lowell they go down to Newburyport 
and the sea. 

There are two clubs of limited member- 
ship on the Concord, the Wamesit and the 
Musquetaquid. 



Mascuppic Lake, otherwise known as 
Tyng's Pond, is situated at the foot of 
Whortleberry hill, four miles from Lowell. 
It is reached by the electric line of the 
Lowell & Suburban Street Railway Com- 
pany. The company owns two sides of 
the lake. At one end is the Lakeview 
pavilion where excellent food is served. 
Here, too, are the bowling alleys and the 
dance hall. On the southerly shore are 
Mountain Rock and Mascuppic groves. 
The former is fitted wtth pavilion, dance 
hall and bowling alley for private picnic 
parties ; the latter is reserved for camping 
purposes. The pines surrounding the 
lake are particularly tall and the spot is 
one of the loveliest conceivable. Willow 
Dale, on the eastern shore of the lake, is 
an old established and popular resort kept 
by Jona. Bowers. 

This lake afibrds the people of Lowell 
cheap and perfect pleasure. The round 
trip costs 35 cents, and it ensures a ride of 
ten miles in the electric cars through a 
beautiful country, a ride around the lake on 
the steamer Mascuppic and free dancing 
every afternoon and evening. The last car 
leaves Lakeview at 10.15, ^""^^ there are 
no intoxicating liquors permitted on the 
place. 

Haggett's pond in Andover is five miles 
from Lowell. It is exceedingly popular 
with small parties. 

Nabnassett pond in Chelmsford, four 
miles away, is a beautiful sheet of water, 
and is quite popular with picnic parties. 
Other picnic resorts within easy distance 
of Lowell are Baptist pond. Long pond, 
Canobie lake. Silver lake and Shawshecn 
grove. Robin's hill in Chelmsford afibrcs 
a fine view of the surrounding country. 

But Lowell is within an hour's ride of 
the sea shore and Boston is only 45 
minutes away. Lake Winnepesaukee can 
be reached in two hours and one may dine 
in Lowell and eat supper at the Fabyan 
house the same night. 



70 



But while Nature is generous, Art is not 
unmirvcllul. Fort Hill Park is unique, and 
imlike any otlier park in New England. 
The hill has an elevation of 200 feet 
above the level of the ri\ ers and the pros- 
pect is a fine one. The park was the gift 
of Miss Elizabeth Rogers and was put in 
its present attractive condition by Messrs. 
Shedd, Smith and Garity free of expense 
to the city. The North and South com- 
mons are quite roomy breathing places, 
and Park Garden beautifies Belvidere. 

The Lowell Opera House is without a 
peer. It was built in 1SS9 by Fay Bros. 



& Hosford at a cost of $icx3,ooo. It seats 
1500 people and is a model of beauty. Its 
conveniences are such as modern comfort 
demands. It is lighted throughout with 
electricity, and the stage appointments 
will compare very favorably with those of 
any metropolitan theatre. The lessee and 
manager is Mr. John F. Cosgrove. 

Music Hall is a cosy and comforlable 
little theatre, where plays are performed at 
popular prices. The present lessees are 
Litchfield, Watson & Thomas. They give 
nightly performances and employ a stock 
company. 



BUILDING OPERATIONS. 

THREE MILLIONS OF MONEY BEING USED IN ERECTING SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURES. 



Competent authorities place the value 
of the stone and brick buildings now in 
process of construction in Lowell at $2, 
000,000. and the value of the \vooden 
buildings at $1,000,000. 

Among the principal buildings are the 
new City hall, the ]\Iemorial bLiilding, the 
Odd Fellows' block, a block at the corner 
of Bridge and East Merrimack streets, 
one on the opposite corner on Prescott 
street, F. G. Mitciiell's block on Merri- 



mack street, the Edson block on Merri- 
mack street, buildings for the Kittredge 
heirs and A. G. Pollard on Middle street, 
and tlie U. S. Government building and a 
High School, the sites of which are al- 
ready being cleared. 

It will be seen that work is assured for 
many months to hundreds of laborers em- 
ployed in the construction of such l)uild- 
ings. 



AVAILABLE LAND. 



The following is a description of the 
land available for manufacturing purposes 
witiiin the city and in the suburban vil- 
lages. The letters refer to the locations 
given in the map. 

The map, to which especial attention is 
directed, was prepared from the latest 
maps by the state survey. It shows an 
area a little short of that included in the 
city of Worcester, and evidences the op- 
portunities there are for development in 
this city and neighborhood. The plan of 
Lowell, which occupies the centre of the 
map, shows the street railway lines, the 
steam railway lines and the waterways. 

On ilare displayed letters which on re- 
ferring to the following list will be found 
to locate territory that is advisable for 
manufacturing purposes. 

BELVIDERE. 

Belvidere, with the excejation of (he land 
bordering on the railway, is a residential 



section of the most desirable character. 
The land excepted is admirably adapted 
for manufacturing purposes. The Electric 
Light company has placed its elaborate 
station there and the While Brothers & 
Sons have recently erected a three story 
brick factory in that neighborhood. The 
land is traversed by the Lowell and An- 
dover railroad which has close connection 
with the Framingham branch of the Old 
Colony. 

(a) Strip of land having 1000 feet 
frontage on the railroad, held for manu- 
facturing purpose.". Smith and Shedd, 
trustees. Smith and Shedd are also trus- 
tees for a lot of land on Boylston street 
(b) having 800 feet tVontage on the rail- 
road. On the opposite'side of Boylston 
street is the Oakland territory. There is 
also considerable territory (c) abutting on 
the railroad in this section which is the 
property of W. H. Wiggin and Miss Eliz- 
abeth Rogers. There is water in sufhcient 



71 



supply from springs and brooks, and the 
railroad facilities are unexcelled. There is 
a great area of adjoining land which, at a 
reasonable outlay, can be used for resi- 
dences. 



than a mile distant from the Electric 
Light Station, which is now equip- 
ped to furnish from i to loo horse power. 



OAKLANDS. 

Taking Rogers street as the dividing 
line, Oaklands extends in a more level ex- 
pansion eastward to bevond the tracks of 
the Boston & Lowell Railroad. Here 
(n d) is an iinmense tract of land, a 
loamy soil resting upon a hard clay foun- 
dation. It is flanked on the south bv 
Boylston street, and extends for half a 
mile toward Phenix on both sides of tlie 
railroad. There is no more available land 
in the city of Lowell for manufacturing 
pur])oses, water is found in ample volume 
at a depth of a few feet, and the railroad 
affords facilities for transportation of an 
exceptional character. It is the purpose 
of Messrs. Shepard, Russell and Fuller to 
have a spur track running through the 
land lying between Hanover Avenue 
and the Phenix line. 

The most of this land is within the 
town of Tewksburj' where the taxes are 
only $1 1.50 per m ; and with good roads, 
ample water supply and railroad facilities, 
there is no reason why manufacturers 
should not find this a place of exceptional 
advantages. Gas from the Lowell companv 
is an additional privilege. This land 
upon which manufactories mav be estab- 
lished lies on both sides of tiie track and 
bevond it on the rising ground is territory- 
which can be bought for little money 
upon which to erect houses for those who 
may be employed in that vicinity. 

Tile land lies a mile and a half from tlie 
Post ofHce and is reached by horse cars 
and steam railway tracks, there is a sta- 
tion at Phenix where the Atherton Ma- 
chine Company, is established, and em- 
ploys 400 men, and the car fares on both 
train and street railway are five cents. 

The syndicate make this generous ofler : 
They will give the land to any manu- 
facturer that may desire to build an estab- 
lishment in that locality. The quality of 
help that can be secured is reliable, and 
the advantage which close connection 
with the city assures makes the oppor- 
tunity worth in every way the attention of 
manufacturers. 

There is another thing to be remember- 
ed, and that is the fact that this land is less 



AVERS CITY. 

"Avers City" is a large section of the 
city indicated on the maps by the letters 
E E. It is traversed by River Meadow 
Brook, a stream of considerable size, 
which furnishes some t;o horse power, and 
by the Old Colony railroad, having direct 
communication with New York. There 
is also a spur track connecting with the 
Lowell and Andover branch of tiie Boston 
and Maine railroad. This ensures direct 
communication with Portland and with 
Boston. The land is of a very desirable 
character, being level and surrounded by 
high lands which are in great demand for 
residential purposes. 

Near the Old Colony freight house, 
which is located at the junction of the 
Framingham with the Boston and Lowell 
road, and on the westerly side of the 
brook, is three acres of land, the property 
of George W. Chase. There is a street 
cut through from Chelmsford street to the 
brook, not indicated on the map, and the 
land enjoys excellent water privileges. 
Mr. Chase, who is a master builder, will 
erect upon this laiid and lease to respon- 
sible parties at moderate terms any kind 
of factory they may desire. He will also 
erect houses and tenements for the help, 
that shall be near at hand. He has a two 
story factory, new, with elevator and steam 
heat, which he is prepared to lease on 
acceptable terms. The street railway line 
on Chelmsford street is close at hand. 

Near this property is land owned by O. 
O. Greenwood, two acres bordering on 
the brook. 

There are two or three acres belonging 
to Alanson Folsom. 

There are two and one half acres of the 
Hubbard estate which bonier on 
Chelmsford street. 

George Parsons owns seven acres which 
adjoins the brook. 

There are three acres of the Kimball 
estate with excellent railroad fiicilities. 

On the easterly side of the brook there 
is a spur track running from the Fram- 
ingham branch to the Arey and Maddock 
tannery and the Criterion Company's 
Knitting Mill. There is much valuable 
land here having brook privileges. 



72 



J. B. Francis owns an acre and more 
between the brook and tlie track. 

E. B. Peirce owns several acres on the 
raihoad. The J. Q. Hubbard heirs own 
several acres and so, too, do the Conner 
Brothers \vhose coal sheds mark the term- 
inus of the spur track. 

On the higher land on the easterlv side 
of the Framingham branch, Messrs. J. W. 
Bennett and Robert Bartlett own foiu" acres 
having a frontage of 600 feet on the rail- 
road running south from the point where 
the cross section starts to unite with the 
Boston and Maine road. It is dry land 
and admirably located for iron workers. 

Beyond the Bennett and Bartlett land 
lie the acres of Capt. Joseph P. Thomp- 
son. Thev extend southerly to the land 
of the Parkman heirs (f), which, crossing 
the city line into Chelmsford, is 300 acres 
in extent. The Parker heirs also own a 
level stretch of land to the east of the 
Bennett and Bartlett land. 

On the westerly side of the Framingiiam 
track, at its junction with the spur con- 
necting with the Boston and Maine road 
is the land of the Osgood estate. 

George Runels owns a level stretch 
opposite the Dobbins Boiler Works on 
the line of the spur track. 

Thissell and Lamson, and Charles Cow- 
ley also own land in this vicinity having 
brook and railroad privileges. The growth 
of this section of the city has been phe- 
nomenal and it is rapidly becoming a 
populous district. 



MIDDLESEX \ILLAGE. 

This section is admirably adapted for 
manufacturing purposes. It is traversed 
by the Lowell and Nashua railroad which 
has through connections witii Canada and 
the Pacific coast. At the easterly end, 
near the junction of Middlesex and Paw- 
tucket streets, Black brook, a stream of 
considerable volume, flows into the Merri- 
mack. Quite a pond is formed here by 
the back water from the river. This wa- 
ter is available for manufacturing pur- 
poses. 

A plentiful supply of water may also be 
secured by digging or boring twenty feet 
below the surface. 

The land is level and there is much of 
it vacant on both sides of the road and 
along the line of the railroad all the way 
to the busy village of North Chelmsford. 



Although there used to be glass works 
and hat shops in Middlesex \'illage before 
Lowell was established, there is now only 
one manufacturing establishment in oper- 
ation there. The pioneer of tiie modern 
industrial movement is the T. W. C. Pick- 
ering Companv which has just completed 
a handsome two story brick mill. 

Every acre of land lying between the 
higliwav and the railroad, and Pickering's 
mill and the city line (g) is available and 
desirable for manufacturing purposes. 
The owners are as follows and their prop- 
ertv lies west of Pickering's mill in the 
sequence given : 

H. K. Ferrin, i 1-2 acres, abutting on 
railroad. 

James T. Smith, 1 1-2 acres, abutting 
on railroad. 

Heirs of Joseph Smith, 3 aci'es, abut- 
ting on railroad. 

C. E. Carter, 3 acres, abutting on rail- 
road. 

Mrs. Samuel Tyler, 5 acres, abutting 
on railroad. 

Samuel P. Hadley, 2 acres abutting on 
railroad. 

Mrs. Parker, several acres, abutting on 
railroad. 

Frederick F. Ayer, 5 acres, abutting on 
railroad. 

Land abutting on Black brook and lying 
west of Ste\ens street toward the city 
limits (h). 

The W. E. Livingston estate is one of 
the finest in the city. It comprises 40 
acres intersected by streets and axailable 
for residential or manufacturing purposes. 
There are 10 acres bordering on the east- 
erly side of Black brook. This land is 
level, the supply of water is copious and 
never-failing and of an excellent qualit\'. 

Southerly from the Livingston place, 
and abutting on the brook, lie 3 acres 
owned by George Mclntire, several acres 
owned by George Holden and 3 acres 
owned by Wallace Mclntire. All these 
owners have rights in the waters of the 
brook. 

West of the brook, and lying between it 
and the highway (j) are the following 
properties : 

John B. Richardson land, on which 
are several ice houses, the brook furnish- 
ing a sufficient supply to stock them. 
This is admirable land for manufacturing 
purposes. 



73 



Stillman B. Clough, 4 acres abutting on 
the brook. 

Mrs. John Webber, 9 acres, abutting 
on the brook. 

Mrs. Wentworth, several acres, abutting 
on the brook. 

Mrs. S. Tyler, several acres, abutting 
on the brook. 

The Marshall Pratt estate, W. E. Pot- 
ter and Son, agents, a large tract on both 
sides bf the brook. 

Joseph Bowers, a large tract on both 
sides of the brook. 

While the land here mentioned is desir- 
able for manufacturers, it is flanked on 
the south bv rising land (k) which is being 
rapidlv utilized for residences. It is cheap 
and manufacturers can find ready accom- 
modations there for their help. 

There is a railroad station at Middlesex 
^'illage, and the street railway will be ex- 
tended through that section this year to 
the citv line. The distance from the city 
post office is a mile and a half. 

CENTRALVILLE. 

In Centralville, north of the Aiken 
street bridge and l3'ing between Lake- 
view avenue and Beaver brook (x), is 
land the property of John Ames, August 
Fels and David Skillings. This section is 
particularly recommended for shoe shops. 

East of this land and lying between 
Lakeview avenue and Bridge street, is 
Crescent Hill (o), a recently opened ter- 
ritory, which is being rapidly utilized for 
residences. Its streets are graded and 
lighted, and gas, city water and sewerage 
are among the privileges the residents 
enjoy. It is but a few minutes walk from 
Dracut woolen mills and but a short dis- 
tance from the great corporations with 
which it is connected by the Aiken street 
bridge. 

OTHER LAND. 

In addition to the lands in these sections 
which are desirable for manufacturing 
purposes, there are twelve acres belong- 
ing to the proprietors of the locks and 
canals at the bend of the river near the 
Aiken street bridge (l), which can be 
leased for manufacturing purposes. 

They also have two acres of land on 
Broadway (n) which they will lease at 
reasonable terms. 

In the neighborhood of Gorham street 
and lying between that thoroughfare and 



the Concord river is much land desirable 
for manufacturing purposes. At the jimc- 
tion of the street with the railroad is the 
land of the Osgood heirs. 

There are 3 acres (p) for which VV. E. 
Potter & Son are agents. 

(r) The Appleton heirs own six acres. 

Mrs. Jei-emiah O'Neil owns 15 acres. 

Tames ]MeadowCroft owns several acres. 

Timothy Doolan owns 3 acres and will 
welcome a factory on his land. All this 
land has water privileges in the Concord 
river and lies between the tracks of the 
Boston & Lowell and the Lowell & Salem 
railroads. 

The Nesmith heirs own a fine lot for 
manufacturing purposes (s) on Willie 
street. 

IN THE SUBURBS. 

DRACUT. 

There is a vast extent of available terri- 
tory in this town, abutting on the Electric 
railway and on Beaver Brook. 

The brook furnishes 125 horse power 
for the Collins mills in Collinsville, for the 
Parker and Bassett paper mills and for the 
Merrimack woolen mills. The village is 
within ten minutes ride of the city post 
office. 

The following is the available land : 

(t) Sixty-four acres owned by Percy 
Parker. This land abuts on the brook 
and is admirably adapted for manufactur- 
ers. With it go the privileges of the 
brook, and power may be obtained by the 
erection of a plant on the westerly side of 
the dam. 

The Goodhue land lies south of the 
Parker land and between the highway and 
the brook (u) . 

The land lying west and north of the 
Parker land is owned by O. J. Coburn, 
and is traversed by the brook. Tnere is 
a fall here which is not utilized. 

Richard Bennett also owns a lot with 
water privileges. 

north CHELMSFORD. 

North Chelmsford possesses many valu- 
able advantages for manufacturers. It is 
traversed by the Lowell & Nashua and 
Stony brook railroads. It lies on the 
westerly bank of the Merrimack, into 
which flow two brooks of considerable 
volume, the Stony brook and Deep brook. 
Here is the available land : 



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